Letter from Jon 4-13-09

Dear Family 4-13-09
Well thanks so much pres for the great letter it just pumps me up to be your friend and thanks so much for the wonderful support and love and all that you do for meThanks so much mom and dad and everyone else for loving me and supporting me in this crazy adventure. I sure did enjoy the emails today! … hehe Clint your emails are so classic I want you to know I read everything from everyone. Thanks grandmas and bood and Carma too for the package, I love you all!!!Well sounds like things are going great in St. George!
Tell Kason I’m coming soon enough and that is so unfair that Lish is going to Costa Rica!Well it’s the end of the change and yes we have changes today and I’m kind of nervous because anything can happen! But I reflect back on my time here and I have grown and learned so much here in Vitarte. Its been a building block in my life and mission, I am such good buds with everyone in the Ward and we are rolling and working so good. It’s just crazy like my own neighborhood in the ghetto of Lima. I do love it and can feel the spirit as I try to brighten these people’s life’s and help them be firm in the church. One of the hardest parts of being a missionary is making so many good friends and then having to move on and never knowing if you will talk or see each other again. Elsa and Estella’s mom came up to me all emotional yesterday and grabbed both my hands and said now listen to me….! Like almost mad like grandma then said… you tell your mother, thanks for raising you and bringing you into this world. I am so happy to see my daughters get baptized in this church. Iit really hit home to me and I suddenly felt the spirit so strong and was like wooo when she said you were supposed to come here; to Vitarte at this time with my girls! I got teary eyed right there in busy hallway of church and it was so awesome.
I know everything I’m doing was supposed to be. It is so crazy to meet people or have things happen and you realize its all the Lord. I have seen miracles down here ….Elsa got called to be head of Liahona here in Ward and she is just pumped. It is so fun to see the converts grow, wow! I am so blessed and I have such great friends.

I feel like these people here were always supposed to be members the way they eat up gospel. They just forgot about for a while because they were born here in Peru and not in my great family. I am here and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve had 11 baptisms since Jauja. It is going to be tough to leave Vitarte. Were doing lots of good things we just started a class Tuesday night for all those people who want to go with us and teach. We train them then practice with our new ward mission leader. We are forming a Missionary army in the Ward to go out with us! The best part is that lots of them are the new members that we just baptized.I love helping these people. The other day one lady that was baptized called at 8 in the morning almost crying saying Elder Rogers you always ask me if I need help and today my money is all gone I was robbed. She said that she had nothing left. My Little kids are here what do I do? I said we will be there this morning and left. We got help for her with the bishop the next day in church. We got food coupons and on Saturday my companion and I gathered food for her and took it to her house. I know she was so grateful and I hope it strengths her testimony. No she knows what I mean when I say this church is hope and light in her life. She came to church all slicked up with smile on her face yesterday!I love you all and thanks so much for being there for me. I’m having fun too and love to joke hehe!!! I’m teaching the primary kids the song “How firm a foundation in English.
It is so fun. There is like 80 of them cause 15 to 20of them come from the investigator’s kids. They put the kids in Primary so our investigators can listen in class. When I teach them how it goes they are running around screaming but when they sing it’s so cute! They always greet me and scream Elder Royers Royers is there gunna be a treat? I have got to get a film of it but if I’m out of here so you will have to imagine……Love your Son, Elder Rogers.
Well cambios are ........................I’m going to Huancayo hehe yeah! I’m going to train again o man heaven help me! I’m way nervous and excited!! I love Huancayo!"Well there it is .......see you next week in the mountains two hours away from Juaja!!!!!!!!!!!!!!muah!

P.S. o flip and I’m District Leader!!!! With newbie in new area o flip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!hehe here we go....