Last Letter

12-14-09
My dear family
Well this is it the last time and it’s so weird and I still don’t feel trunky or that I’m going home it’s kind of weird how everyone talks a about it but now I’m starting to know how unreal it is. Thank you so much for your love and support for me and all the great examples and your letters today, I love you all so much family and mom & dad. I am so grateful that I could finish and I feel so good. This mission has been the hardest thing I have ever done in my life and it has completely molded me into someone else, a man like dad said I have such a strong testimony of this gospel and I love being a soldier of the lord. Well I had my last interview with pres and it was so good I shared with him my goals and he just looked at me and said he felt so tranquillo about me and good about my mission it was awesome hearing it and knowing I had a honorable fulltime mission from the mouth of my leader he taught me lots and it was good to hear his council I can really see how much he loves me and we both expressed the joy with a good 45 min interview, I love President Leyva, he is a great servant of the Lord and taught me lots, well he told me that I have lots of great memories and happiness ahead in my life, he said the mission is a great base to start on and a great achievement!
Its been a good week we had 7 people come to church and it looks like we are going to have some good baptisms this last week of my mission the best way to go out and I am so so excited, we fasted and have some great people lined up for interviews tomorrow to be baptized if all goes well 6 or 7 will go in one on Saturday and 6 on Sunday…I would be so so happy .
I have been trying to enjoy life a bit but I’m still pretty busy we had the pre call for the rest today I was going to call but I don’t want to ruin the fun gathering next wed but it was fun to see comps so happy to call with their moms and dads.
Well family one more week here in sweaty old Peru. I love this place, and I feel good about my mission I have always tried to stay busy and do what’s right, I have worked more than hard, and have helped many people and learned lots about our self, like Joseph Smith says we must trust in the Lord I have learned on this mission that only Lord know how much we can take and he does love us and that is our comfort we must hold on to during the hard times, he lives and his son directs this church, I love this church, I love Peru, I will miss so very much hearing elder royers…. Elder royers . what a dream it is to be a missionary, I gave my last talk yesterday in my ward and I said well se acabo its ended my mission and me voy next week and the whole crowd just did the oohhh at the same time it was hard to look in their faces with the don’t go look I promised them I would come back, so
I have a great week from lama land ill see you when I walk of the plane with my fist in the air, o man I’m going to cry like a baby, just hug me don’t worry about how skinny I am I feel fine
Love elder rog

God Speed

12-6-09
Hey fam
Woof time just goes by to to fast! Thanks so much for all the wonderful emails lish, clint dad mom em, and everyone, I sure do enjoy reading about your feelings.
Well we were so blessed yesterday we got all five to church, and most to the devotional last night and they are getting more and more excited for there baptism, I want a white Christmas dad so so bad. The devotional was so great last night and I really enjoy the prophets’ stories, and I felt the spirit so strong with the music, we truly are so blessed to be members and I am so full of love for these people and my family. I love being a missionary and don’t want it to end, I have been thinking lots lately and president made me write down all my goals from what I learned what I want to do after mission to the characteristics in my future wife…it was good but bitter sweet. I really have learned so so much , and this mission has been tough but so good. I have my last interview with him tomorrow at 8:00am.
This week we are trying to get everything ready to go to get these people interview taught and excited for their baptism,
Last week was fun on pday we went to the old Catholic church of down town lima, and saw the catacombs of caves and dungeons of the scary Catholic church. it’s something that I have always wanted to do, and it was way cool just like Indiana Jones, and National treasure. I got it all on video.
I’m trying to do all of the best things for my zone to reward them and I tell them that pday is sacred , and we need to enjoy it or the work just isn’t the same.
Well I love you all and want you to know how much I love you all I put as number one of the most important things I’ve learned, is how much I love and appreciate my parents, and my family as well. What an adventure it has been for me down in Peru, but I have taught people the best I know form the examples I have been given, I love this gospel…I am so happy the Lord gave me 24 months, this church is true
God speed your son in lama land
Elder rog
Ps only one more letter left any last requests?

Nov 30 09

11-30-09
What up family?
Que dicen? Woof another week blown away here in sweaty Peru. Man we are working are flippin butts off. We saved the zone this week and ended with 13 baptisms as a zone. I am pleased and will tell you details. I first want to say thanks for writing me everyone and all your support it sounds like the family is doing great and pumped up for Christmas and got lights up and stuff and that’s way fun. I want everyone to know I read everything that comes if not in the second I print it off, Lish that sounds way fun you went to black eyed peas concert with u2. Parsons is assistant from Arizona is that who your taking about…
Mom Elder Watters is my best bud from Canada. We were in Vitarte for 6 months together and had two kids together and we were best buds. He is from British Columbia Canada. I told him he didn’t have to do anything his last week in the temple together but he is just like that. We are great buds and he was great elder.
The football emails were great hehe that sounds like a lot of fun! I’m trying to stay caught up with everyone but I usually print off emails and have to look as I talk to someone on the phone or write numbers down.
Well this week we had marriages up in Chosica. I went up there with a certified lawyer from my zone Elder Arasscue and we talked to the alcalde judge and we planned one more marriage. I feel like a high class business man rolling into an office with my name tag and suit as zone leader of 26 year old lawyer from down town Lima as an elder. We had a good talk and the judge is a member, and we were able to get things taken care of. We had a great baptism and we were able help elder of the zone baptize a family of 5!!!!!!!! And we baptized in almost every area this week. It was crazy and I had Edgar as my testigo and we pulled out his partida. I don’t know what that is in English but it’s a paper that the temple asked for to get married in the temple. It’s awesome and we are helping so many people compete with chastity here ,yeah baby!!!!!!!! It has really been a crazy week and a week of miracles!
Please everyone don’t talk about home just yet I got 6 in the barrel and I want to stay focused! I love the mission and am really kind of sad that is winding down . I feel like someone is going to pull the carpet from under me and it’s not fair…all I want to do is what I’m doing right now.
I know this is the gospel is real and so true I don’t except no as an answer, I have so much faith! This week I prayed and told Him there needs to be a marriage. I’m going to figure things out help me and I went! We did everything possible and are investigators as well and she was in tears as she got baptized it was so great!
Well I bought a new camera for 600 soles and I made a couple of ice cream purchases and cookies. I’m doing pushups like a mad man, and am weighing in at a 184.5 and trying to look normal. I’ll start taking pictures of food and you’ll see why one cant gain weight but I’m not complaining. I love Peru!
Is there anything you want cool from Peru before I come back? I feel bad for spending so much but everything is pretty cheap down here?
I love you all your son in Peru
Ps we got to plan a play for Christmas. I’ll get some fun film of it. We are going to do something fun for Pres. Leyva.
Elder Rogers only 2 letters mas!

No Marriages? 11-23-09

What up fam!!!!!!!!!!! 11-23-09
Well its been a crazy week and time is just disappearing… wow Clint your 31 brother hehe thats crazy but your Young…your so Young and im excited for you it sounds like you had fun in Cancun. Orvil is growing growing and mom sounds like the best grandma ever hehe that’s great! I’m so gald everyone else is doing well.
Well the weeks go by so fast and it’s just crazy this week we had the last zone leaders conference and it was fun eating pizza and staying up late telling stories with all my buddies for the last time they all look at me and just cant believe I’m leaving and won’t be there next time and I can’t either and it’s kind of hard trying to get used to it for the last time. President taught us good and we have last Christmas celebration conference on the 21st Monday and then I sleep in the office and get on plane next day. I have my last interview with pres on the 8th and he wants to hear and see my goals…mmmm for what my plans are. I love the mission and love being a elder and especially helping those other elders .
This week I have to tell you all was probably the most stressful just bad week of my whole mission . Don’t get worried but we got a call last Friday night that the matromonios were a no go cause the state of Peru chosica denied that the elders marry people . So until there is an investigation I guess there had been some filing problems and just chunk and so they said no and maybe not for this week either and we don’t know what we are going to do but I was the one who got to stay up until 2 30 in the morning crying laughing ticked shocked calling everyone telling them in my zone that we got shafted…I first call the assistants and the ZL’s of shosica and it just destroyed them with a burn and said how can you call me at 10:30 saying there is no marriage tomorrow if I got a family of 4 and grandparents cakes, dresses, little sparkly things everywhere, cookies waiting in the church, a full to the brim baptismal fount!!!!!!!!! And 300 ward members ready to see this dude tie the knot and baptize his wife!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t you tell me there is no marriages boy or I’m going be in a three legged foot race with you the clinica san paolo ! They then told me it was from state. Well we baptized 0 this week and it was a disaster. we sent members to investigators house at 12:30 and they all cried and it was hard to get them happy again. I just remember sitting on my bed looking at my comp and we both started laughing it is so stressfull being a elder sometimes) ps I really wasn’t that mean on phone it was just to make you laugh but I can talk pretty fast in espanol) ..Who have so much responsibility and happiness of lives in your hands not to mention the salvation of souls but I said a prayer and we got it figured out for hopefully this week. Oh man I’m grateful for the trials form God I know this is how it will be in future at work, marriage, and with crazy kids or whatever. Like they say come what may and love it! This week will be a better week but we canceled so many baptisms it was so so so so embarrassing all the ZL’swere so mad all we could do is go on its nobody’s fault woof. I just remember calling my bud Elder Bac from Guatemala and I said its over buddy no marriage tomorrow. I woke him up and he said you’re kidding. I’m dead I’m so dead what a nightmare I said. I’m sorry and slowly hung up the phone ocuh!
Well we had some good people in church and things are looking lots better it always gets better and the family is happy and ready to go on. I love you all may god bless.
I work hard every day down here for all those who want to come to Christ from lama land muah!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Elder Rogers moroni 8 2 I think of dad when I read this

Trouble on the ball Field

What up fam!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well im down here in sweaty old peru and i dont know how im gunna home not so skinny like my plan just sweating like a dog but o well…im lovin it! Im so glad to here that the am is doing great and that things are tranquillo. Mom your getting in Spanish nice work!
Im glad to here big kace is tearing it up in basketball and gage is home and just loved his mish I knew he did and know he is a stud . wow he really has changed a lot that’s great. and its gunna be un to see everyone and hear the stories! Hehe I got so many stories hehe speaking o stories well we went to internet today and the web was down so we decided to play futbol a little early and while we were in the capilla some one threw tear gas over the fence at us probly some punks or something put we were playing and all the sudden we had like three elders just hit the deck and I and my comp were like what is going on then I couldn’t breath it hurt so so bad I just had to spit so bad like 5 times it felt like I had salt water up my nose and my throat was bleeding it was way rough and I told everyone to get the heck out of there and we all went running into the church then in the bathroom and had a sink party and took showeres in it, it was so weird and we never even saw anyone or any thing but some of latinos say its happened before and they come and rob your stuf when you run inside I imagine…..but we were in the church and I got the key so nothing happened but how about that or a story it happen about 45 min ago and now im here but we are all fine happily ….crasy peru! Im never gunna forget this place I have experienced so many things its kind of scary to have to protect if something does happen but we are protected.
Well im still here in campoy and im gunna die with elder toral from Ecuador its cool we are good enough buds I sometimes think he is more trunky then I am! But I just got to stay ocused I go out there and pound it everyday I know I can always do better but im making the last push we got some good baptisms coming up if we can get things put together with these marriges, and we also received a ref today of fam of 5! Yeah and they are pretty promising I just want to feel the book before I head out and have success .
I m trying to finish bom and just read alma 60 verse 36 and ilove it cuase it casue its my main man moroni and he just doesent put up with chunk hehe and is just so powerfull and I have read that verse many times in last few days I really like alma chaps.
Well we really have had some great experiences latly we have helped a man come back to church after 15 years and now he will be married to his wife and his wife will be baptized and we also have a kid that falied us like on 10 citas and I alwys tell him that we will be his bud but that we need to move on well he came to curch and said elder rogers give me one more chance and I said of course buddy and he came to the appointment and said he just wants to be baptized and said he wasn’t ready at first budt know he is I don’t know why I was so paticint with him but I guess the lord does and and looked and my comp and said valio la pena causa ) it was worth the pain brother) and he is going in on Sunday hehe wow I will never deny how the lord literally uses us ans his tools and puts people in our path and if we are out working it will all work out. Tight!
Well that’s about all from lama land love your bro
Elder rogers

Everyone but me is going home

Hey fam! 11-9-09
Well it sounds like everyone had a good time at time out week for the mujeres! That’s awesome I’m glad you had a great time
That’s way funny trying to imagine the boys tending the kids hehe McDonalds always is the solution.
Well it’s been kind of a sad week and hard one but still great in the obra del señor . We had a big group pack the bags and turn in the keys this week and most of them were all my best buddies. I had one elder elder english who lives in Vegas who has really helped me just turn this zone into well oiled machine as one of my district leaders and he stayed in my room last night and now he’s gone along with elder Johnson from Bountiful Utah, Wilding; stg, merill Ogden vally, Lowery ; California, Lucas; Illinois, and many more. I can’t believe there gone because they are the ones I started my mission with! I can still remember some of them in my first areas we have all grown so much! As we build the kingdom of god here in the world he builds all of us..
I also had one kid in my group leave to go back to Afghanistan in my group? He’s a tank driver and pres called in morning and he left at night. What are we still over there? He left so fast pres says he had to go. It’s my last change now and it’s kind of hard for me to except it but I’m ready to rock it and burn until the engines roar!
This week we had four couples with their kids come to church and just when things were getting way slow we know got a potential 8 with date. Yesterday I looked up in air and said thanks you now we might be having some marriages again. Maybe three full families, it would be great way to leave. We got the goal we got the plan now it’s go time! We took a couple over to Lucy and Edgars house last night and had FHE and watched the Joseph Smith movie and then challenged them to get married and get baptized. They accepted and it was played so perfect our new married members did all the work they said do it, it will help so much in your life! We have them and son of 12 years old going in on 28! And will challenge other family of 4 Tues night! I love to work and if I had my wife and kids I’d love to find teach and baptize for a lot longer. Now I know exactly what I’m doing and I love to do it and feel so comfortable…but that’s why it’s only a one time deal. I talked in church yesterday and told some fun stories from Hauncayo and it was really fun to tell.
When I started the mission, I worked to try to make time go by faster . I know I’m working now cause I just don’t have enough time, I want to baptize my last day here!
I love you all ….your son in lama land
Elder rog
ps thanks Clint fam for bday card so fun! Jar bear voice, and cancun? Thats so not cool bro
Ps. During lunch we keep it real with mancola and phase 10 hehe. I love having fun! We made a pancha mancha the other day( chicken under the ground with hot rocks) and it was so cool. I wrote down all the instructions to be able to do it when i get back. It will be sweet at p.v. or Powell! And you play cards as you wait i also made pollos with Money we had their orange and say Campoy 21! On them with areas

Sweating it up in Lamaland

Hey fam! 11-3-09
Well it’s been a crazy busy week i have absolutely no time for myself and the days just melt together and we are slamin Campoy! We finished the month with 21!!!!!!!!!!! Baptisms! For the first time ever in Campoy for years! It was awesome and we really brought it together and it was so fun and the Lord just gave us miracle after miracle.
We started it out last week celebrating my bday we went bowling and I spent all of the funds on one shot. It was so fun and everyone really had a good time! I scored 166 here in ole Peru not bad uh? But then it was all go time! We got the zone pumped up on Tuesday and looked at all of our possibilities and then my companion and I went on divisions and took other missionaries out of their areas to help elders with investigators with a date it was crazy idea and it worked! I went with Elder Anco to la portada and we talked with the parents of a 17 year old girl (Gladis ) she has assisted the church for almost a year, and her parents would never give her permission to get baptized. I told Elder Anco we would get permission… and he was fasting. We went to the house and sure enough the mom didn’t want to talk to us….but we said a prayer with the girl and told her if she had faith and Lord wanted her to be baptized at this time he would present a way. We had a great member there too. She went in her mom’s room and 10min later came out with angry catholic mom….I was so nervous and Anco didnt say a word. We just started teaching about the family and how God is our father. I asked her if she found anything wrong or offensive about our message and then told her if she really wanted her daughter to process spiritually she needed the spirit and to get the spirit she needed to be baptized correctly. She bore testimony and her friend bore testimony and Elder Anco and I bore testimony. Then the mom said , when is she going to get baptized?....and what does she need?...the golden question. I said your love and support and she said …..I agree and I was little nervous in saying the baptism time because it was for the next day but I just threw it out there with big smile. It’s tomorrow you going to come?.......She said I’ll be there and her dad will too because now I understand! Miracle! There was some chest bumping and prayers of gratitude after. Getting 21 baptisms-----it was great experience and I’ll never forget how spirit just used us like a hammer and pick to open that ladies heart . It was great and Elder Anco is still in awe. Even though I’ve seen it before with Elsa and Astrid and my atheist friend, I too am in awe.…wow how great is this gospel? How wonderful is it to be a soldier and literally fighting for the truth. It was so great! Latter that night the mom accepted a date for 28 of November!

My companion worked hard on the other end and we as a zone were there present as the las Tones went in. A team effort!
I am so so grateful to be an Elder!! I love my mission and I am so so stressed out and just running around and I don’t get much sleep andall I don’t think about much else then this great work. I’m having so much fun and love helping other Elders. Our division went great with new Elder Taylor and his companion and they were able to baptize 4 this last week after not baptizing for a month. Miracles miracles, all around.
This week we also had 2 days as Elder Anco and I took 35 jovenes around to knock doors and then stayed the night with the older ones and divided with them for 2 days. I was with fun k id that told me all his stories and kept telling me to slow down. He was falling asleep in the lessons cause he was just so so tired but a great kid and we had some fun times.
I love all you guys
Sweating it up here in lama land your son elder Rogers!
This week I’m taking my zone to play soccer against our arch rival the zone Las Flores.
There going down!

10-19-09 I'm skinny but I'll pork up

im skinny but i know ill pork upi dont know if i will be able to get what you sent with lady 14 wardi got golden undisthanks so so much muah!!!!!!!!My dear FamilyWell what a week it has been uh? I am so overwhelmed for the love and support i have and recieve from my family, friends , leaders, and my havenly father. I dont know were to start or what to say on my own behalf, but i start with a I am so so gratefull for the opurtunity i have to finish my misson down here in peru. I know it was a miracle talking to dad on the phone and after our talk i imediatly dropped to my knees and thanked the lord and told him i woulnt waste 1 hour of what i got left and am so excited to work. Thnks so much for all of your prayers and fasting and may the lord bless us all and give me 62 more days!Well this week we worked hard and got 10 people in sacramental in church and we put fechas on two of them! It looks like im gunna have to get my best suit out again cause we got another wedding! We got two familys progressing as well and i can see things cahnging even though work is a little slow im just all smiles and happy to be out there, it is now full out we busted fan out and im sweeating like a peruvian.Things are going good in the zone we are all pretty unided and working hard, always lottle problems but i love getting up in front of them and puming them up with the scriptures like moroni and going out to war! Im like i dont hear you boys!!!!!! Lets to it! Will you put one more with fecha..bring one more to church!....FREEDOM! hehe jk but i do get pretty pumpedWe had great confernce with Elder christoferson of 12 this week at good ole ccm(SPIRIT prison) mtc in lima i heard one elder say that and pause at front gate saying i dont want to go back in there ... hehe it craked me up. But it was great conference and i really loved it. I saw little smith i am way skinny but not any skinny then that stick hehe i just huged him when he told me im skinny and told him welcome to peru, that im leaving and how he liked first change, food, dirt, dogs, stuff and we joked a bit he looks good and that i have eating more plates of white rice then he has hours in the misson he asked if i was serious and i said ....as a heart attack pal hehe it was fun to see him he is lima north and i know his zl he played futbol with me in ccm.Well there is a great peruvian story of two rats that fall in buket of milk and start swimming put one just cant see the point after while and drowns but the other just wont give up and just at point of despair the milk starts turning to butter and thickins up enough with his churring to raise up and hardn into cheese and he walks out of bucket, or somting like that i love that story and it remind me of my misson,and all those converts and all of us with life and being members of this church im never gunna stop wimming and telling all those to keep swiming with me. i have been through a lot and learned so so much and had so many crazy stories and adventures but i know it has changed my life! I will never be the same. I love you all and have a solid testimony of this gospel i have testimony of the power of the preisthood! Know god the father and christ live and are closer to us then we will ever know i testify to that.I love you all your son in lama land Elder rog!

It's a miracle

My dear family 10-12-09Thank you so much everyone for all the love and feelings you have expressed for me in your emails, its really hard and scary for me what is going on and its hard to concentrate and lead a zone, after i got off the phone with dad I got a blessing from president Leyva, then i went to the temple with president and his wife and the office elder’s. We held a special prayer in my behalf in the celestial room of Lima, Peru temple. We then went and got a MRI at 9 30 at night . Pres and his wife were with me the whole time until 11 30 at night. Pres. started crying and said he needed me here in this mission. In a personal interview we talked about lots of things and I felt like I was talking to dad. Saturday the whole mission fasted for me. I have so much faith in the Lord but am still so scared , . but I too have felt the peace and know he is watching over me. Only the Lord knows what is going to happen, i can’t worry or fear! I must trust in the Lord and that is what I’m going to do and what I’ve done my whole life. I know he will take care of me and I have done my very best for him. I don’t want you all to be sad. We must have faith. I will try and do whatever the Lord asks of me but I just want you all to be ok. This mission has been the hardest thing for me but i have put it all on the altar. I got really sick in Jauja and I thought I was going to go home but I somehow was healed and I still don’t know how to this day. I had really bad skin problems on my back and legs and arms, and I was healed and can’t explain how. When i started my mission I was so nervous i couldn’t eat, or sleep and I didn’t tell anyone. I just pleaded with the Lord and got over it.. I know the Lord has called me here for a purpose and I never knew I could do some things that I have done but I know he called me here and I must have faith. Yesterday my comp and I had a baptism and I tried to get my mind of things working hard Saturday, and domingo. I love being a missionary and love helping others.I wouldn’t trade these experiences in my life for anything! I love my Savior and his work! I love all of you please pray for me to accept the Lords will. I’ve expressed my deep feelings to him how i want to stay. I want those 24! I want to finish strong with what he sent me here to do. I asked that he would please take into account my feelings and desires. Please pray with me today as I will be going to the office at 2 to talk with the doctor about my results. Please pray that I can know all options and know what to do, and that if it is God’s will I can take care of the problem and stay. The lord loves us and only he knows. We must trust him I’m trying to be positive I’m so grateful for this time the Lord has given me in my life to serve him. I know this work is the most important work on this earth, and God lives and his son Jesus Christ lives and directs this work! And all of this happened because one boys prayer was answered . Joseph had it a lot harder than me in his life, May the Lord bless our whole family through our faith in him in the name of Jesus Christ amen.I love you all so much, thank you for all your love and supportLove your son in lamma land. elder rogers

Follow-up The MRI was negative---- We got our miracle.
Jon gets his 24!

10-5-09 Letter

Hey family! 10/5/09Wow what a great conference and great boost for all of us from the Lords prophets.I loved it and you better believe that i was there at all 5 sessions with my new suit all slicked up. I loved every second and took good notes. I really loved Holland’s talk and the prophet about love, and Eyrings about expresing that love and having good relation with dad and parents and spouse. It was so good and so true. I loved the street boys talk by the Chinese dude! There are so many stories like that of lives getting fixed and turned around here in Peru Isn’t this gospel just awesome? It’s like the answer to everyone’s problems and struggles. If they just follow its principles and it can be fun too cause you always feel good. I loved Holland. I love that man, and want to be able to teach like him what power!Well I’m glad everyone is doing great. it’s been really good week. I look so forward to conference and that was my last one..I’ll always remember for rest of my life where I was. ( in peru) I understood perfectly in Spanish 4 great conferences. I love being an elder and spiritual doctor down here helping in real live action, and I love all of you.Well I’m still here in Campoy and my new comp is Elder Toral from Ecuador, (it’s on the coast were the temple is) and this kid is my best bud! ( he reminds me of j Hamm jordy) and he is always happy and just funny and good elder. it’s kind of blessing being zone leader because I have had some really great companions and it so fun to learn from them. He is loaded too. He pulls out like 400 soles in cash when he was putting his stuff in room and says it’s a little money for personal stuff. I was like woof, all his stuff is nicer than mine. He also pulled out sub with two big speakers and mp4 with digtal camera with all the hymns, talks, efy. It’s been fun living off his abundance. He says he’s here to help me die peacefully and happily hehe Well we’re tearing it up here. I’m in full study mode learning more than ever, working and sweating every day. I am also waking up extra early every morning and hitting the exercises and I feel good. I want to make these next 2 changes the best.
We have lots of confidence here in ward. I’m ZL now and it’s kind of stressful being fully in charge with President calling all time. It is mostly handling money. I have to write everything down and am so so busy all the time getting everything ready; meetings, travels and conferences, ...It’s fun though and I love it. Christofferson is coming on the 17 and all of Lima Elders will be there! Also the CCM EldersWell I sure love all you everything is going great here in lama land and I’m running around just like I was at fun assemblies at Dixie High, my companion and I teach with scripts and get everyone pumped up. I have some fun lessons in my journal All investigators are welcome and we have 4 references that are looking goldenWith love Elder Jon rog

9-28-09

Hey family, 9-28-09Well another week has come and gone here in Campoy. We finished up the month of Sept. with 18 baptisms and 19 confirmations, so we are way excited about that. We are so close to 20 , the goal and I know we will break it soon , but I’m proud of our elders. It’s crazy this week starts October! And a new thing they’re not going to tell us the changes, so next week I could be anywhere but I don’t think so. I think I’m going to die here which is fine. I like Campoy, but I do think I’ll get a new companion. I hope he’s cool so he can help me finish strong. It was good week.I’m glad to hear everything is going good with the fam and stuff it seems like mom and dad are always traveling. Thanks so much mom and dad for your council and scriptures and pumping me up every week.Well we started a new thing in our lessons we sing to our investigators and it really helps bring the spirit and its fun too. My companion has a way deep nasally voice and says he is way good at singing so he sings and sings all the time from start of the day, ….It is so so annoying but it helps me continually build patience something that I thought I already had hehe Singing in lessons is fun!I’m going to miss my companion because he is a stud and we talk every night telling stories. He is great elder.Yesterday was intense we had conference meeting with all the bishops in Campoy and kind of burned them a little bit with Stake President cause they just don’t help very much. We got some good stuff resolved and so we will see how it all turns out. We helped them by watching preach my gospel movies on the big screen. The movie says all we need to do as bishops, Elders, and members. It is fun seeing President Darrell Larkin on the movie too. Remember when we went and visited him in San Antonio? They must have made that movie right after …but yeah I was way nervous telling all the bishops what to do but learned a lot as wellLast letter, I said guinea pig but I meant hamster! We ate hamster even more gross!! Just like uncle hammer used to say.I love all you guys and hope and pray you are all receiving blessing for the work I am doing here. All that matters to me is this gospel and my loved ones nothing else, I know god lives and loves all of us and wants us to be happy, please continue to keep me in your prayers and I will keep you in mine too. P. S. Holland did not come down here I don’t think…unless I don’t know but last week he spoke with us in a broadcast from Salt Lake that was especially for Peru. Love your son in lama land Elder Rogers

News from Jon 9-22-09

Elders in Zone

Fam!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 9-22-09Hey family well sorry this is late. We had lots going on today. We took our zone bowling!!!!!!! We got a discount in the morning so we had to run. They all got to email but we were busy fixing a little problem and when we finished we had to take them bowling. It was really fun but I sucked it up. I just told everyone it must be the time I have spent in the mission;) It sounds like everyone is doing great and that makes me happy and gives me strength to go on. This week has been a miracle week and we were able to baptize 11 people on Saturday as a zone after a big marriage ceremony. It was awesome. Our investigators went in as well, Edgar and Lucy. It was so so good to see them go in and they really have changed so much. They now call us hijos , chicos ( there boys) Every time we knock on the door they invite us in to eat.It was a long day Saturday taking everyone to get married then bring them back and get them dunked. Then we had stake conference after the baptism. It was a great day. Then after Stake Conference the Ward made a reception for all those that got married. Edgar cooked up 10 fat yep guinea pigs for all who came. I told everyone where I come from those fat little guys roll in cages and are not eaten under any circumstance. They just laugh and think I’m joking!....yuck!..... no they’re not good.It was great baptism. Hermana Lucy invited us over for Sunday dinner and made her own version of fettuccini alfredo it was sooooooo good! It’s so good to be their friends and see the change in these people and how the Lord prepared them for us. My companion told me that before I arrived in Lima Lucy was heard saying that if anything happened to her son in on his mission she would kill the bishop. …yikes hehe and now she danced with him and the líder missonal at her wedding yesterday! Classic conversion story.I am so happy to be a part of this great work and just see these miracles take place. Every companionship has converts waiting for them that only they can baptize and if you find them it will change everyone’s lifeJI’m hungry to find more baptisms and more people and that are ready to understand it. It’s the eye of the tiger baby its go time.We had conference for Peru and Jeffery R. Holland talked and bore his testimony in español. Wow, he can speak really well..It was a great conference but I felt he kind of burnt all of Peru …but they needed it. It was strong with the sprit. He told them that an area with that much success and members needs to get things together! They need to send more missionaries, pay more tithing, and more everything, Wow!Well other day I was walking down the street and some greasy guy drove by in taxi and shouted out hey home boy! What’s up! Hehe it was so weird and I was laughing so hard he said it perfect and didn’t know what else to say good Peruvian times….Well this week is going be another busy one. We got changes and we have the fun job of sending everyone out. I hope I don’t send myself! The work of the Lord is rolling right along and no one can stop it! I know the Lord is with us all!Well were working and pounding the dirt down here in lama land , I wish you all a great week and know I’m thinking about you all!Con amor su hijito Elder RogersP.S. The sad part of the story is that Elder Holland was in St. George last weekend. It would have been fun to send a little something with him to Jon.

Jon Fun Pictures

At the top of the mountain in Huancayo . Notice the patch on his pants. Zone Huancayo baby. Most of the Latinos are newbies and newbies in the church too

A todos mis amigos desde el valle del sol- Huancayo. El parque de identidad

Hey Ho!

We think this picture is funny cause in everyone's house they have a bitter beer face family picture. Here we are in a classic Peruvian picture.

Left to right

Elder Morrison- Vernal Ut., Elder Rogers, Elder Ferrer- Dallas Tx, Elder Bates San Antonio Texas Zone Leader

9-14-09 LIMA

fam!!!!!!!!! 9-14-09Wow it sounds like everyone had a great week and I’m so happy for that; Dad with fishing..and ward changes woof cool though.. I’m still here and working hard in my responsibilities. Hey don’t let me get trunky that is not a good thing. HeheWell its been another great week here in Campoy. Its been so fun having my stud companion and working hard. I’m happy cause its not to hot and miserable yet but that’s starting to change..yep it’s about that time of year. I’m getting ready to sweat like a Vitarte dog again! It’s all good! things are going great this week. We had interviews and he pretty much told me my companion is leaving then I’m going to be holding the reins or taking the whippings –jk! He was asking me how I felt in my new area and all. I think I know it well enough ?...I hope.Well its always really busy busy doing things going on divisions planning weddings, interview, numbers, little problems in zone, sicknesses…..I don’t get to study as much as I would like but I at least try to read an hour in Book of Mormon and D & C to get the spirit but the phone rings every 5 min until 11 or 12 at nights sometimes. On weekends I sometimes get frustrated! Some kids call to ask what we’re doing for p day when they should be snoozing but then once in a while you’ll get a call from the big man ....what you want!!!!!!! Oo..... buenas noches presidente como esta.The other night we took a sick Elder Ramierez , a newbie to the down town Lima E:R: at1:00a.m. We went by taxi. We were there until 5:00a.m. He was throwing up blood almost. So after a blessing and 5 or 6 runs to bathroom I said,”lets go!” It was an adventure, The ER staff gave him IV. I got to sit there and watch what one of the biggest scariest cities of the world brought in on Thursday night. There was contusion accidents, drunk, etc. It was wild and I was dead the next day. Such is the life of a missionary. It is crazy sometimes..but it was good to help. It’s cool that President trusts us to do stuff like that. I sometimes feel like a kid, but we have lots of responsibility.I also got to ride in the minivan of Hermana Leyva with nice and smooth church jazz music to go check if the rooms were clean of the elders. I did not want to get out of that sweet ride. It reminded me of all the times I tried to succor out of work and go to the gas station with Curtis and buy a root beer! loved running errands with him but I hated it when he dropped me off back in the heat.Well we got a marriage this week and we got 6 people that should get baptized this next 2 weeks here in Campoy. My companion and I are really working hard with families. Lucy and Edgar are going to get to go in on Saturday they call us there sons and feed us every time we are in there house and its fun seeing the change in them. Their son is so so happy in mission and I cannot believe they’re going to get baptized. I am going to make a movie for them of it all.Things are going great and I’m working hard. I love hearing from the elders everywhere. Way to go ELDERES! Hehe and helping these poor great people!! Its crazy we’re back in the cerros and these people buy big screens before they buy there roof and sweep the dirt floor inside their house until it hardens into cement almost. It’s pretty sad and gross the way they live but its Peru and I can’t even take my camera out and take a picture because I feel so bad. Plus someone will snatch it. We are so blessed!
Our bishop is the man! I love you all!
Your son in Peru muah!!!!!!!!!!!!ELDER ROG .

Elder Rogers 9-7-09

Hey fam ¡!!!!!!! 9-7-09
Well another week down here in Campoy, Lima, Peru. I can’t believe that I only have 15 domingos mas! I’m glad to hear all is well in stg and that your all happy and doing good.Well this week has been super super busy we did so much. Starting with last week , I took my zone to the ZOO! …….Yeah tell me about it who is the coolest ZL ever ? We have an activity fund and I spent most of it the last day of agosto and the activity fund for September , woops but I wanted to start out with a bang and reward our zone for getting 19 baptisms !!!!!yeah!!!! We were so close to twenty but there are 19 people more in the church. It is awesome we are looking forward to miracles this month! We had Zone conference on Friday and our class went well. My companion and I taught together and it’s easy to look like you know what you’re doing when your companion is such a stud! We taught and I had to direct the conference. It was way nerve racking but I think I did alright. I just had to give brief outline of what was going on like that red head dude on spoken word!
And the best part yet, my comp and I were in charge of lunch too and we took everyone to an all you can eat Chinese buffet in down town Lima! Now if there’s one thing I’ve learned on my mission the hard way its...DONT EAT Peruvian Chinese food! But this place was great! It was like Mesquite! And we got serious props from the boys and the big man...they all really liked it. It’s been a busy week with lots of activities of the conference and stuff. I feel like I’m back in high school and doing assemblies and d week! But I only have two conferences left now. I can’t believe it! But it’s been a good week.Well the work has been a little tougher this week missing so many hours going in to Lima to get everything ready. We are always in charge of conferences and if it doesn’t run smooth it’s like are heads on a platter.
We are finally back to work and are working really well with bishop and members and our ward is amazing! We have a family who has a son on a mission and they are going to get married on the 19th and baptized as well. Mom and dad and with son on mission, it will be family!!!!!!!I’m pretty excited about it. The spirit is so strong as we teach and I really know we are supposed to be here at this time for them. It’s really cool! I love finding the people God wants in his church!I sure do love all you guys ! The church is true and I love being a servant and missionary.
Love your son in peru From lama land will chat next week!!!!!!!So also the new bible came out and it’s like the coolest thing down here. President held it up during conference and everyone was like the coolest thing ever oooooooo awwwwww .Elder Rogers.Ps The other day one lady told me that her leche(milk) was way yummy and asked if i wanted some she said it was from her grandma(mamita) and I said oo I thought it was from your cow...hehe ( being funny) and she almost died laughing. I had to stop her cause i thought she was going to choke. You would have laughed so hard she sounded like the wicked witch of the este!

From Lama Land 8-31-09

8-31-09 Hey fam!!!!!!!!!!!
Well it’s been another week can you believe that were does time go?Well I’m so glad everyone is doing so good. I love hearing the fun stories and memories made during the week! Woof dad your trunking me out( just kidding I’m glad you had fun) with the fish stories and Clint but that sure does sound like fun. I love fishing! I can’t believe jord is already in the field!... woof! It is fun going down memory lane (he’s doing awesome ) Reading his novels every week…. he writes so much! I don’t know how he does it. Well I guess that’s what happens! It makes me laugh! I never had email or msn or anything until I went to DSC. I sure try hard to type type type… Well this week was awesome we had our first counsel with all the zone leaders . It was the whole mission and I got to see my buddies that I haven’t seen in years from all over Eastern Peru; Haunaco, Cerro, Hauncayo , La Merced. We spent Monday and Tuesday together and we talked about some great things. President really taught us well.
It is also fun talking to Elder Wilding about three to four times a week as he is now my IM –assistant to the Pres. I am so excited to serve and help the elders. President gave us the tools to do it this week. We also had the opportunity to go to the temple twice this week which was so awesome for me. It was my first time in 7 months and it was so great to be back in that celestial room and feel his spirit. It was a great conference and I learned a lot about how the mission works. At the conference this week and I had to stand up and teach elders of four zones how to get good references for 25 min!!!!
I got called this morning and I am in charge of lunch for 60+elders after conference this Friday so that should be fun . It is kind of different doing these things I’ve always enjoyed but now have to do. I still love it and love helping new elders that need help like me when I started. It’s so rewarding to give um a side hug and say you’ll do great pal!My Ward and bishop is the best and I love him he is giving home teachers to the people who aren’t even baptized yet and it helps so much. He is completely in the love with our work and it makes me so excited to have calling after the mission to help Elders and the work. I am going to help them just like he helps us. He welcomes all those that we are teaching to church and he offers his house to them. He feeds them and he sends his wife after them. It is so awesome feeling the love!Things are going great I have lots of fun with my companion. He’s such a stud and we just joke all the time with are investigators too and it’s so fun. Now I know the language, I can actually pick up on jokes he does and it’s fun to throw a line at him too. The other day we went in to a house ( It was a part-member family with members that know us;) ) and I said now.. You’re going to have to be patient my companion is from Las Vegas and is learning Spanish so ask me all the questions ok? He says I’m from Las Vegas in English and he is just like silent for first 5 min of the get- to -know you chat. It was great, I was laughing cause my companion i s my bud and we love having fun.We baptized a mom and her two kids yesterday and it was such a good baptism. We had a program and everything. I felt the sprit strong. It was so great seeing them get baptized. I baptized the mom and my companion baptized the kids.
Dad I know it’s all about the people and I have so many great friends. my favorite thing to do is to ask the new converts their story, and it is so interesting . I want to make a movie of how the church as grown in Peru. One kid was telling me how he used to street fight before his mission for cash yikes….He was showing me all of his scars and now he comes to church every week in a suit and he is a teacher of Young men. It’s so great seeing the change in these people’s lives. Brigham in Jauja wrote and told me that he is preparing to go on mission ¡!!!!!!!!!!! He completes his year as member on the 16 of September. That was the kid that was baptized in three days with Elder Benites and I love that kid. He actually called me from Piurra last week, i was like hello con quien hablo (who am I talking to?) and he said peanuts! My Nick name for him and he was here in Campoy too! I love being a missionary and love all you guys! Yesterday we had family home evening with a family that is getting married and then baptized! Yep more marriage parties hehe! We watched a video and it was in Spanish and I was like hey we need to change it cause I thought it was in English. I am getting so used to Spanish. My companion looked at me like you dork….I felt pretty dumb!
I sent a letter for moms b day with some fun pictures--- please share with all its fun.
Your son en lama land Nos vemos pronto

8-24-09 You get to translate today

Hey fam!!!!!!!!Wooof well im here in the uglyest city in the world yep.....Lima! i got changed with just one change with my kid as a zone leader here in Campoy its a getto area in down down lima. My comp is the man! Hes elder Deza from my group and we are ready to tear it up big time i was kind of suprized cause they always had me train two cnages but yeah there was also joke going around that i was gunna train again hehe whos gunna be rogs next kid. But im excited just to tear it up with my main man deza buena gente.I feel liked i acomplished all i could with sanches that kid has lots to learn but last week with him he was able to baptise and he finished his lessons with me and thats my curriculum for kids ive never had one that hasent been able to get in the water and teach and challege so i sent him off., im escited to learn again and kind of have a comp thats just knows whats up and see his stile and way he teaches ive trained for almost year and it was like crazy to see deza just throwing curve balls in lessons and im so excited to be his comp! Our ward is the bomb its like all jovenes and rms the wards in lima are so awesome we live with our lider misional and are bishop is 30 yr old rm and weve already had a baptism and we have fam of three that can go in next week that right a fam!!!!!!!!!! Im so escited i was literally just druling to see so many fams and great people so ready its just differnt in lima and its so laod fast moving and jam packed i love being a providence boy but im ready to just baptise like a crasy man and with what im seeing im just like druling...hehe my comp is escited to cause he can see it in me there is so many great fams here..... well i said good buy to all wonderfull peeps in huancayo and got on dredead bus and passed ticlio one more time highest highway in there world it always makes me just so weesy but i to love it cause its prettys windy drive in world mom would be one prayed with alcohol swipe laying on floor in the back but its such andventure! I got here and just forgot how contaminated lima is its like living in a humind dank sand box with dogs slime white painted black, and fish and jacussi again hehe. But the people are so humble and ready hehe the kids are so tight and last night i met a kid and he was spiting some lima slang and i couldent really understand but he said ( how did you turn into a peruvian potatoe like us white boy...) i was like yeah word...whata? hehe but i think he liked me he had mohock shave and eyebrows with shaved lines in them like nelly... hehe but a stud hehe thers so many crazy kids with style down here but they com to curch and love it and they come like in pin stripe suits first time with there whole squad and like ..yo weres rog at?...we got sweet fam and mom and two kids carmen and brenda andd manueal that are probly going in this week im so excited i gueass record for compoy zone is only 20 por mounth its kind of poor getto area but last time they got 20 was last year with my main man benites right before they sent him to me in jauaja and we are lookinng to break it this mounth i want to so bad heheI love being sone leader but its so much to worry about and i can tell im gunna be slammed this next four mounths woof I love all you guys so much!Ps we last in soccer hehe i put bone colletor on back of my jersey to be intiminating but it dindnt work hehe we last 4 to 2 i scored are two gaols it was fun i love soccer!Your son!

From Lama Land

What up Fam!!!!!!!!!!!!This is j rog down in Hauncayo ,Peru.
Well this has been a crazy week. Time is just rolling and it hard to keep up with it. We had another great baptism this week and finished my companion’s lessons one a cinco baby! I’m thinking about buying him a cupcake today and putting a candle in it! It was like pulling wisdom teeth but we got her done. He’s 100 percent better and I’m excited for him we have been working hard and I’m proud of him!Happy bday mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On the 21st. I got fun pictures coming that should get a good laugh. I planned it well.
I still love the Liahona but I don’t forget about great script stories and answers, mom. I got little distracted this week and read “our search for happiness” it is so so good!!! I loved it Yea ,mom we do lots of service I have to or I get board. In the picture we are making a mud house? Yea what time are we in! Hehe …yea that house is a upper class house of plywood it came out pretty. Wow mom and dad your vacationing fools ……. I want to go to the beach when I get back too!I now eat with the second counselor of the stake of hauncayo. We talk deep doctrine and its so fun and cool the knowledge he has. It inspires me! I’ve really gotten into fun studies. I’ve always loved studying but it just gets better you know!Sorry about all the grammatical errors. I’m really not that handicap. I just don’t have lots of time or the best keyboard. Sometimes the keyboards don’t have letters –sorry.I’m so happy to know you are all going well and jord is tearing it up in the mtc hehe thats awesome. I am proud of all my buddies on there missions just doing so great in their own way . We all came for a reason I’ve come a long way from the refining process of MTC and CCM hehe. It’s fun to see the changes.
I am looking over my shoulder and I can see Birdsall with his two day beard, his ugly tie, his tennis shoes, his trucker hat and shirt and tie and I just have to smile. He’s a great elder but he has a style and it is p-day …. What a doof but I love him. It’s been a long ride.We working it here and just trying to find the escogidos Well just a normal week not much to report on Our old penz stopped building her second story to her house when we left. Now we pay someone else as penz?....now she doesn’t like me. I guess I ended her flow of doughJWe went hiking again in Cochas to find more native people. In Cochas they don’t even know what cable TV is . It is to fun!Love your sonElder rog in lama land

Pictures From Scan Disk

So I am calling the first page Just say no to sweaters 2nd page Mission memories

3rd page

Here we go building a house again.

Can you imagine living in the little shack?

Look at the semi-nice furniture though?

8-3-09

8-3-09What up Fam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Well another week woof time really is clinking along, it sounds like everyone is doing semi good, I love you all and want you to know that I pray for my sweet family everyday sometimes I feel like depending how hard I work the happier and safer and better off the rog family will be I hope that’s true cause I am working hard and want lord to bless you. Thanks mom for peanut butter. I ate peanut butter the second I opened it and let everyone hear how good it was mmmm mmm mmm. Thanks so much mom I love you so much, don’t worry about more packages after this one, they charged me too and so we had to pay for it twice but thanks so so much! Muah! Well they also took pouch away from us so yea no more letters but maybe by post but its way more expensive now to send cards. There are lots of problems here with the economySorry for extra expenses remember I have kid with me and kids are expensive and he spent his mission money in like 1 week and bought some trinkets and now he’s sporting a leather sandal that says Huancayo on it. I was like dude you got to use that money for food and taxis! I don’t have the heart to eat treats in front of him so I share like a saint…we might have solved the food problem though. My prayers have been answered. I found a new penz who rocks! She puts a fried egg on top of everything even if its like cereal mmmm mmm-Well its been good week we had a baptism and we found a couple more people that can get baptized this next two weeks. My companion is getting excited cause we really are doing some great things. I made a Liahona book with articles with every subject so now no one can give me an excuse, cause I got stories and stories to back it up. It helps so much and I can just find great answers to people prayers giving them these Liahona stories. I really love to take care of my converts and have really learned how to love… I am always thinking of them and say I have some thing for you and its an answer to problem they might have had. My converts are doing great! Jose is missionary of the ward and his wife was called as 2nd counselor in relief society!!!! Yesterday I was so pumped for them. Astrid says she wants to go on a mission and her parents moved across the street from the church. hehe J They talk to us now after kicking her out maybe sometime they might take the lessons from us hehe. Elsa is doing good too. Yesterday was like payday in testimonies. One lady got up and said I’d like to thank the elders and especially Elder Rogers for being so darn persistent. She is happy now with a calling in the church. I love being their buds and I just don’t want to give up on them.Dad thanks for the thought on agents in d&c, and stuff. I taught it in district meeting . My companion is now on lesson 4 and we finished the white bible together. He is teaching a lot better. He still always tries to weasel out of things but I got him on a leash, we are better buds everyday.I get frustrated too. My bishop lost my piano book and so now I can’t play and he just doesn’t help us at all so we go around him and try are best. I get so mad sometimes with all the laziness but you just got to keep your cool and have patience and love that’s what it’s all about here in the mission. I love you all! We are doing some really cool things, the other day we helped a little girl in primary make a friend. She was outside at an activity and said she wanted to go home. We said you need a friend another little girl came around the corner and my companion and I said, “ hey do you know Camilea …and she said no”,and I said, Camilea meet Kelly. Kelly meet Camilla. Kelly what do you like to do play volleyball? Then can you teach Camilla how to play?…. sure…. come on Camilla…they held hands and went running off but before long around the corner Camilla looked back and said thanks;)It was great! love you all! Elder Rogers

Word from Lamaland

Hey fam!!!!!!!!!! 7/27/09
Thanks so much for the great fun emails and all the kickin info you send with love every week. I love it. Woof sorry about last week I wrote like paragraph I have to check to make sure everyone is using internet right in my district so I got cut on time. Some kids write all there high school friends and stuff … but I’m so glad everyone is doing great this week I sure love all you.Well this week has been a lot better I’m really trying to be patient and help my companion we practice teaching everyday and read the white bible. I have a routine I’ve done with all the brothers (my other kids) and it works just right. It works out all the kinks. I really do love training and I know just what to do. I think President knows it. (well that’s what he tells me) I really feel honored to train so much. Thanks for all your comments. I know it is big job. I just have to pay the lord back for everything I didn’t get when I was new you know? I made promise with the Lord I would never treat his elders like I was treated at first and he’s letting me keep that promise and I’m so happy. It’s so hard sometimes but so great.
Well my converts are just doing so good and I some times get like teary eyed seeing that all of them are just rolling and doing good ,even though there are little challenges and struggles I pray they stay strong. I am such good buds with everyone we had a family come to church yesterday and I was so so excited. I teach the newbies class and try to keep them laughing. I play the piano and taught all my buds D&C from Temple in Lima and hymn books. Dad I promise I am trying to do what’s right with my money most of it is food… but I really am trying to do all in my power to keep my little barrio happy and growing in this great gospel. I give them Liahonas and am always thinking of them…Its way cold here I just walk around in my big ski coat and am just toasty
I saw a lady from Arkansas in the plaza last week and I couldn’t even talk to her in English hehe I was like; Hey you…what is your name…what part are you from weird but its fun I can switch back and forth and my English sucks I sound like a little kid.I love you all and am working hard my companion and I are becoming buds and I love being a missionary and I love reading the Liahona. Its my new favorite thing. I’ve read every Liahona that the old elders have left and everyone on my mission in and out and I tear out stories and give them to people with needs. It’s so great if anyone gives me an excuse or problem I just look it up in my stack of Liahonas and it helps them so much so many great stories from the prophets hoy en dia.
And my comp is so funny he is learning English and its so fun to laugh with him cause some times he acts like he just got out of jail for 15 yrs…but he learned how to say I want sweets….and he said it all night cause he thought it was so cool but I just pictured E T in my head cause it sounded so funny hehe! I want sweets…I want sweets….ouch!!! ouuuuch
heheYour son in Peru
I love you all
Elder rog

Letter from Lama Land

Word from Lamaland
7-20-09
I am not going to spend much time editing this as it is pretty clear.
Hey fam!!!!!!!!!!Well another week down woof! I’m under the 5 mark yikes! I’m so glad to hear everyone is doing great and that life is rolling on in stgeeezy. Hehe I got lots of buds that are finishing up here in Peru Lima East and its tough. I love all my buddies that I’ve made and I love working with them.Well things are kind of slow here in Huancayo, up in mountains, and its getting colder , but we had a great baptism last week. It was a 17-year-old kid whose family kind of abandoned him and he came to Huancayo to study. Well he is now a member of the church. We baptized him in the cold water and I baptized him!! The water was just so cold cause the heater broke and he was like just baptize me all ready. I did and we both went running out gritando (screaming) but it was good.My kid is a punk and a handful—I’m not going to lie but I can handle it. Things are getting better everyday, he used to work at dance parties before mission and he is teaching me how to dance Marengo and its super fun ! Our convert is from pullcalpa heart of the selva and every time we knock on his door he’s listening to some sweet tunes…. so chill. He was DJ in some crazy night club. He’s changed a lot. He is fun and he’s teaching me how to dance as well. Don’t worry only for a minute then we get back to the doctrine.
Things are going good it’s always a little rough at the start but things get better. We have found some good people and a family of 5. That could be real good for august so we just keep pounding away. Well something funny happened the other day we were walking down a poor dirt road and I saw a huge hole with three little kids standing around it with a tree branch saying what are we going do….that will never work duffiss….. o man he’s a goner… I was going to say hi to the kids then I see a little bobble head way down in the hole and I ask them how did the little guy get down there? They all looked at me and didn’t say anything. The little boy looked up at me from the hole with his bottom lip curled. He was so sad and hopeless and he was like 2. I bent down and with my long wingspan I grabbed two or three of his fingers and pulled him out of the deep hole. When I stood up I picked him up in air and put him on ground and all his friends were like your alive and little kids lip went from curl to smile and he just stared at me, then I walked off. It was fun and I felt good.Love your son. Elder Rog -----

Pictures

The Field is White Working Hard

Chopping up something yummy

Letter from Jon 7-12-09 Another Greeny

7-13-09
Hey fam!!!!!!!!!Im so glad to hear that everyone is doing awesome and great it lifts me up knowing that so so much.Well another week has passed and I got another kid Wolf…I’m not going to lie I was totally shocked and a little bit stressed out and bummed. It’s just kind of really tuff being a trainer. I am trying to have a good attitude about it but you just cant have two of Elder Salinas. He was just like my brother and he was rolling when I sent him out into the world. He is going to Lima with another one from my group so I am not worried about him. But yes, I am still here in Huancayo and with same pension. I’d take some love ( food) from anyone it seems like we are always hungry. My new kid is Elder Sanchez and he is from Trujillo and was baptized about same time I was in Bayovar a year and half ago. ( I wonder if Derrick Stout knows him?) He is a bit different of a kid and kind of has some attitude problems. I think I got my work cut out for me. I am so grateful. I guess it seems like this is just how life is ups and downs. I was so blessed this last 3 months with my buddies now its time for some more bumpy roads but I can handle it. I know exactly what to do and I’ve got him working on his study plans: obedience how to say good prayers, get up in the morning, clean up after yourself, and how to teach .
The first day of study I said so where are you at in Book of Mormon? He said he has never read it all the way through. After he was baptized he worked a lot with his family… I said ok….. How about we read it and try to finish it. He looked at me and said pretty much…… do we have to? I scratched my head and was like o boy!!!!…hehe This is going to be a long change. I am going to work hard though and things are going to work out fine .
Thanks for filing me in on all the fun staff at home and blogs. I sure miss you guys in times like these but I know what the Lord wants me to do and I’m starting a little family down here with 4 kids hehe and I’ll just keep chopping away at the old block.My converts are doing awesome and Jose is in priesthood and he said don’t worry about me Elder Rogers, I’m in the church and not going anywhere!!! I love his faith and great attitude.
Thanks dad for your council to serve were the Lord want me to. It is hard to except some times and not always what we want. Mission politics doesn’t mean a thing what matters is we reach for our full potential and harvest the talents the Lord gives us and not worry about other things for other people.I am grateful and working hard everyday. I thank the Lord for being an elder and for my great family and friends and the great converts I have.
I love you all . Love your Bro down in lama land
Chau, Jon

Letter from Jon 7-6-09

7/6/09


Hey fam!!!!!!!!!Well its been another great week thanks so much for your fun emails and great reports i Thanks so much everyone for all the love and support they don’t tell us until the end so its kind of intense writing. Well this week Jose and his wife and little Jeremy all got confirmed and Jose received the priesthood I was so so excited for him he is priest and is reading a lot trying to get all his duties down last night we went to his house and he started crying and said he has a feeling I’m leaving and doest want us to go it was so sad we all started crying I love my converts and am so blessed to be such a great part in the change in there life one month ago he didn’t want to talk to me and know he is member with priesthood the spirit works so dramatically and its changing me being a part of it I have seen so many miracles with Salinas we don’t even want to talk about splitting yikes…
This morning was little tuff we sent one of my best buds home Elder Davis he completed two years and was such a good elder taught me so much and we had so much fun tearing in up in same district these last three months together and it was hard to see him go and It kind of scares me to I love my mission and feel so blessed even thought its been the hardest thing at times its only one shot and I really feel like these people and friends you make …..its going to be tuff …I’m scared to end … last night at dinner we all looked at each other and I was like Davis your gone man and this change is over we all almost started bauling heheWell yesterday in church we had almost 200 people there and we took a picture in our nebies class with all the people we baptized and it was awesome to have them all there they are really progressing so nicely hehe and I love teaching them with my comp we make nebies class fun.Well there has been some crazy strikes lately and some days there is no cars or rocks piled up in the street my comp and I just walk down middle of main streets while others play volley and soccer. There is some problems right now with junk. Life here is always an adventure. It seem like more people are listening to Michael Jackson now that he is dead. My companion and I were walking down street and I heard “just beat it”…. I started moon walking and he was laughing so hard. Then this little family picnic saw me too . I stopped but not before I mouthed beat it……. and smiled. They all stopped and stared …..Then just died laughing I got kind of embarrassed but it was fun. I was like lets get out of here. We just changed or pens to a lady who lives in Wisconsin. She was visiting her sisters a lady in our ward. She was only here for couple of weeks. We had lasagna, pizza, steak and mashed potatoes and fajitas. I was in heaven then she says I got to go back soon. My companion and I were so sad and now we had to go back to old pension. My expenses on my card might raise this month hehe. She has cutest little kids and that don’t speak any Spanish so while we ate with them I had the hardest time not laughing at what little kids had to say . One little boy was in his high chair screaming get me the heck out of here!!!! And know one understood him. I was laughing so hard and walked over to help him. I was translating for their uncles and it was way fun. Well I’ll tell you what changes are drum roll……………..
Stay and train another from the CCM--- can you believe it?

Love ya Elder Rogers

6-29-09 Letter

6/29/09
Hey fam!!!!!!!!Its so good to hear everyone had fun at Lake Powell and the trip went so good …its so funny to hear recaps of funny phrases and stuff; We’re gunna have to shut her down hehe. I love you all and get ready for the Dec. o9 Powell trip it will be a little cold but I’m used to it .I have had a great week we cashed three awesome baptisms yesterday yep Jose the man who felt the spirit so strong was baptized with his wife. Yesterday! A full family yeah!!! I was so excited we also baptized another little boy named Jeremy Nicodemos. He is a stud. I was able to baptize Jose the man and the little boy. It was such a good baptism and my comp and I are so pumped. We are really having success here in our neck of the woods in Huancayo. My comp is a stud and he completed his lessons with me like I did year ago in Huanuco. I am so proud of him its tough.We did everything yesterday in church the bishop told us during sacrament meeting that we had to talk….dork! So we had to do it. I got a little flustered that he isn’t more on top of things, but we winged it and then I taught the newbies class and had a baptism. Then we cleaned the church after. We are so busy I am also taking up piano again here. Jose wants to hear his favorite hymn, “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, so I told him I’d tickle the ivories a bit. Next week I will play his hymn for him. I love my ward and members and bishop too. I’m trying to teach them to be on top of things. We got changes next week. I really don’t know what will happen, dad wants me to train again but I’ve been training for last 9 months and I think next time I have another kid I want to be married hehe but Salinas was best kid I’ve had.Well drum roll………… we pounded Mantaro in soccer game hehe yeah… 7…2 it was a beat down I drew first blood and Davis and Birdsall and couple of our Latino friends finished them off. I think our jerseys really helped. It was so fun I was so into it. I love soccer now it’s to fun. I chucked some kid from Bolivia who used to play on team and he let everyone know about it. I was a punk. He fell over when I went around him and then I kicked the ball out of bounds to celebrate. I would have gotten a penalty or red card or something but it was way funny. I got worked by him plenty as well and gave him hug after came and said akunamattata in Spanish so it all ended good. It was way fun and were still talking about it…I’ve had so much fun this change and we have baptized 23 in last two months as district. I’m really enjoying mission and we have so much fun we played scatagories in DL meeting last week by Birdsall and we went on divisions.
Oh man 24 hours with Birdsall! He locked keys inside his house so he had to break the window just like the MTC good old times. Then a dog bit him and we had to call Hermana Leyva. That kid is just like something else but it was fun day. I was laughing so hard cause it was just like being at day one again but we have both grown up so much. It was fun for the both of us teaching a bomb lesson in great Spanish. We’ve come a long way……WELL I HEARD US BEAT SPAIN IS SOCCER AND ALMOST BRASIL so that’s cool to Well that’s pretty much it for this week. I think I am going to have to shut her down. I sure love all. Your son down in lama land JonMuah!!!!!!!!

Letter from the Jackhammer in Lama Land

6-22-09
Hey fammmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!Well I’m so glad to hear everyone is rocking and doing well.
I get all the fun blogs to try to keep up with your fun lives and its crazy all that is going on. I am so jealous of Costa Rica trip from Tyler and Lisha. Wow that’s like my dream. Little Orvil is just a cute little bug .
What an honor that President/Elder Wilkinson shared my story in Camp Helaman. That’s kind of fun… and mom it wouldn’t be good to come to Huancayo seeing how were are way above Brian Head. That is the lowest point in my zone. Well today im pumped, we have the monthly soccer game vs mantaro today!!!!!!!!! And we,ve been trash talking all week. I went with ZL’s to get jerseys today. Mine has a cash sign on it and I’m wearing it right now over the top of my shirt and tie and I got my headband on too. I’m so so excited and I got matching long socks. I’ll take some fun pictures but we got to get the Win!!!!!!!!!!! We have a game plan some have prayed and fasted hehe jk …no but seriously we’ve started this crazy tradition and its like so fun to get into it. Birdsall and Davis have been calling like nonstop to get pumped.
We are working hard to we had another baptism yesterday!!!!!!!!!!! I baptized her and her name is Veronica and she is so ready. She is the only member in her family who isn’t a member of the church. Her family was going to get sealed in the temple but her dad died and her family inactivated. It has been ten years then they moved to my area we are activating them and taught Veronica age16. She was baptized 3 weeks later they want to get sealed and Veronica wanted to be baptized yesterday for her dad on fathers day. It was really good baptism and about 37 people came to see her go in.
I got a letter from Elder Fuentealba telling me about miracle that happened in Vitarte. Do you remember Elsa and Estella two single older ladies that got baptized? Well their dad who did not believe in anything got sick last week was about to die. When I left I told Elder Fuete to look him up. Well the Dad got better and was baptized weeks after I left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another miracle now we got almost whole family!! I bet their son on mission is just so happy. I couldn’t believe it and I’m so happy! The mission is going great. I’ve never been so full of the spirit and ready to teach and I love being DL and training my best bud (g-fly) Elder Salinas. Elder Salinas family aren’t members but his sister got baptized last week and now his dad is taking the discussions. Elder Salinas is so happy is mom is now an active member as well with his little sister. He reads his emails and says dude Rogers’ and reads me a line and high fives me! Conference was great I had like 25 min interview with the President. We talked about some great things. I love him and I think he likes me too. He knows I’m trying hard to be missionary that the Lord, family, parents, and friends want me to be. We played dodge ball last week and me Birdsall and Davis beat the whole zone of laoroya just the 3 of us. It was so fun but my butt and body were just so sore the whole week but it was so worth it. I really love the conference Liahona. That’s fun new calls to lima east hehe I hope I get to see them heheI love you all love the jackhammer in lama land
Good luck! j hammm I love you buddy!!!!!!!!!!

Letter from Jon 6-15-09

June 15, 2009

Well it’s been another week down here in Huancayo my comp and I found three new people to baptize this month and are excited cause they all CAME to church! It seems like three is my number cause I put it as my goal every month and the Lord has helped me out every time. The man who felt the spirit Jose… CAME with his wife and beat us to church, that was awesome and I’m so excited to see them progress. My comp and I challenged 52 people to get baptized this week. Its new thing we are doing we challenge everyone and don’t let them think we aren’t here to teach and baptize. It really helps us keep the spirit and teach with power. We are rolling in the taxi and I’ll hand the driver my laminated picture of John baptizing Jesus in the river. I’ll tap him on shoulder with it and it makes him laugh hehe because I am trying to challenge him. It’s great. I’m really enjoying work and my companion and I can feel the Lord directing us. I always tell my comp there’s someone de oro (goldeen) waiting for rog and Elder Salinas out there and the Lord is preparing them for us.This week I have been preparing for p-day soccer with the other zone Mantaro. This time we made jerseys and they’re so tight. I put the jackhammer on mine (thanks to uncle mike and the good old days of working const. I really like that nickname and I put it on my plan book this change) and then my number is the Money sign and my zone leaders are d -train …and t-rex and my comp is G fly? I don’t know why but he thinks its cool and …….I do too hehe Soccer is going to be so fun. We’ve got all the apparel and I’m thinking about buying a mouthpiece and socks with shin guards. I love getting in to itI’ll tell you how it goes down, we have conference this week with prez so I’m excited. Happy fathers day dad I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!! You too mom. I can feel myself doing things and I’m like this is what my dad would do and I love it.I really liked clints emails about blessings. That’s awesome and I’m doing it and can see it come true. I told the girls one day their parents would chill and they did.I love you all and just want to leave you with this rap part English part Spanish that I’m sending to my bud in Lima Elder Keel. It’s way fun! I write my buds now and then.
I am doing great!
Well here it is boysWhat you been waiting for
What j rog lays down cant be sold in stores
We preach like prophets and baptize like locos (crazys)
And got more people with fecha the kernels of corn on a choclo ( cob of corn )
We play b-ball a menudo( frequently)
Even though I’m still a little slim
Ill still break your ankles like I broke the 9 and half foot rim
I love little kids and my kid is my hommie (Elder Salinas)
Cause I’m nicer to him then Ruth was to Naomi hehe!
yeah love you

Letter from Jon 6-8-09

6-8-09

Hey famWell its been another busy busy week and we have worked so hard to get these three girls confirmed.I’m so glad everyone is doing good and Ani is safe in Mass. B- ball rolls on! mom is still best/oldest skier in World and the count down is on for Jordy! Wolf! I remember those days. That’s nuts by the time he makes his first call home I’ll be there to chat with him hehe.Well this week has been wild. I don’t even know were to start. The two girls are getting put to test as converts. This week one got locked in her house and other got booted out. I was so sad for them and their parents said heck no to the confirmation. I was kind of mad and so we fasted again and my companion and I went to Chilca outside my area to have a little spiritual brawl with the dad. I was so nervous but so ready and full of the spirit my companion didn’t say anything. It was me and the dad for 45 min and it got kind of got heated. To make a long story short; the dad doesn’t want his daughter to be member because he is catholic and he didn’t what to have a Mormon daughter. He said everything he does is for her and he knows she won’t respect him if she joins the church. I told him that if he really loved her he’d let go of his catholic pride and respect her decision.
It was pretty cool the spirit was there even though we were kind of fighting. I asked him if there was anything we did in our church that was bad and he couldn’t think of one thing. All of a sudden he said you know what? I would like to know more cause I really don’t know anything about the church. I laughed and said then you’re invited tomorrow and he said no I don’t have time and I then said what a shame uh. We ended on good terms …well the girls got confirmed yesterday and bore their testimonies. It was awesome. Well this batch of conflict is finally over they are members and their parents are chill. We keep telling them one day their parents will be baptized. My companion and I gave each other knuckles during the confirmation. When he said receive the spirit we knew all are the hard work was not in vain! What a glorious day!!! So it ended like that…. woof and we have three new members.It’s been a good week and my comp and I are best buds. We really have bonded through all this and we are on FIRE now! We have seen three miracles with three different girls who couldn’t get baptized get baptized. They are now back in their homes with their parents.
This week we have taught some sweet lessons. One day we were way up on the mountain and we helped a family move all their stuff into a house. They were like where did these two boys come from? My companion and I were sure sweating but smiling because we knew we had free ticket into this family of 5 and 8…. yeah baby! We went back and taught them and challenged them. All agreed to be baptized. We have so much confidence in Lord and were rolling. We have so much fun too. We give each other knuckles like 23 times a day hehe and say tight!!!!!!!! Hehe when cool things happen. He is really working hard and I love him for it.
Yesterday we taught a lesson to a dude who doesn’t believe in got we tried to teach him about Joseph Smith and it was like beating a dead horse then he prayed to end the lesson and all of a sudden the room was hot and thick with the spirit. He started to cry and my companion and I looked at each other and then told him that’s the spirit that you feel my good brother. I stared crying too it was so awesome.I love you all and am enjoying my mission so much and my companion and helping these great people. One funny thing that happened is there are lots of pigs here and we were contacting a family and their little boy got tangled in the pig leash and then fell and scared the pig and pig ran off with the kid attached. The pig and the kid went mud tubing without the tube. The kid and the pie were screaming my companion was taking and The family and I were laughing so hard. We were just rolling . The best part was the kid after. He thought it was so fun!!!!!!!!!! Hehe o kids you got to love um. I wanted to try it too cause the pig is about as big as small carLove your son in lama land ---Jon

Letter from Elder Rogers 6-1-09

6-1-09
Wow!!!!!!!!!!What a crazy week hehe Birdsall is here and its crazy fun being his district leader. Things are going great for my companion and I we had three rocking baptisms yesterday and I was so excited cause we’ve worked hard to get them. I was glad I got to stay for these fruits. Also I just found out they baptized a couple more couples that we were working with in Vitarte, so the work rolls. The baptisms were great but way stressful. The parents of the 20-year-old girls are monsters and it was all we could do to get the girls in the water. They have so much faith and are modern day pioneers… I have to tell you what happened yesterday and please know these girls are just never going to give up. After last week’s farce, they felt a lot better and their parents were chill. I talked with one mom and she was so chill but yesterday in church during the newbies class Astrid’s dad came and pulled her out of church and hauled her off by taxi. We all just stood outside and watched as she was hauled off. It was way traumatizing for her and her friends but we couldn’t do anything. I just don’t understand how their parents are so ridiculous. The dad left a soccer game drinking beer to come pull his daughter out of church so she wouldn’t be baptized! We went on with the baptism of the other two girls. Then all of a sudden Astrid came back to the church bawling with a bag of all her stuff. Her dad kicked her out of the house telling her if she went back to get baptized she was on her own…… so she came back I was like what are you doing here! When you go back your dad is going to kill you. She was bawling and said I want to be baptized! And so we baptized her it was the most crazy afternoon but the most spiritual baptism I think I’ve had in my mission and she was so happy but so heartbroken at same time. It felt like we were all fighting against evil with these parents. We tried so hard but the parents just turn there backs on their daughters if they are not catholic. Astrid now lives with a member I called Leyva. I talked with bishop and everything. It was pretty crazy… but she refused anything but baptism. I was almost in tears just seeing the sacrifice she made for her baptism. She said I’ve lost everything today. I have nowhere to live and my parents won’t talk to me. My parents took my cell phone and keys but I know this is the true church. I am baptized, wow! It was bitter sweet. We have so many great members that love these girls and I know they will go on. They are awesome.But yeah, its been a wild crazy last serious of events. My companion and I were like woof! I told him its good I only have 6 months left fighting Holy Wars. I am literally exhausted… spiritually and mentally. It was a miracle! We witnessed it and I told President that these girls are pioneers.But we are doing good this week and working hard. My companion and I are learning lots and I am training him. We are really getting some good help from the ward and bishop. The ward mission leader is the man now this experience that happened yesterday.Well I love you guys and glad you liked the rugs and I got the pictures, thanks so much mom.! MuahIts been raining like crazy and I just sing in the rain with cool umbrella I found and work it baby. I’m glad everyone is doing good !Love your son down here in lama land! Hey dad read 20 mark note in ensign of June its about GermanyMuah! Jon