May 19 2008

5/19/08
Dear Family,
It’s been a quick week again. I didn’t get any mail today. I was kind of bummed. I guess it’s a holiday in Lima. I’m beginning to hate holidays cause all that means is no mail but I’m ok and next week will be great. I’m doing good. I have the same comp and the work has really slowed down but I’m working hard on my lessons and passed off #5 last week and I will pass off #4 a little later this week. It is way stressful but I am doing it!!! ...yeah well jazz are done darn next year hehe.I’m doing better with my comp and studies we still cant be on time but that’s just life down here. I’m trying to learn all I can and prepare for new President in July. He is Latino. I want to show him that I want to be here. I’m just pounding my lessons its harder then I thought but I know I can do it with the help of Lord. This week I went on exchange with an Elder Davis to a town called Ambo. Look it up it was just tiny town and it is one hour outside Huanuco. It was so fun and I spoke more with him cause I am really getting the hang of the language now. It was awesome. We slept outside on his roof under the stars and it was just so fun! The little town has a catholic church and that’s it. It was just a little area town. It was fun seeing all the mountain people and it was so pretty. It was really the prettiest drive going down there. This week we got a family to go to church so we are working with a family and Brian is getting baptized 1 June.It’s fun to be able to talk and teach. I’m doing well and I can get along with my companion by trying to help him. I’m like Kirby on best two years flipping the pictures. “I know Joseph Smith was a pamphet”. heheI’m working hard on goals and trying to listen to promptings. Time is flying. It sounds like lots is going on is St. George. I wish you good luck. I’m glad you had fun at the annual girls week. Keep me updated on all that goes on. I want you to know I’m trying my hardest to do what’s right and I can feel my own growth. Sometimes I say things and don’t know were they come from but I do….. its the Lord. It is time for Elder Rogers to speak his mind in other language. How can we not go on in such great of cause? I love you all and glad you liked package.Elder Rogers

Real picture of Huanuco

Jon sent this picture today in package for Mother's Day. This shows the main downtown but he is more in the outskirts. The river is in the foreground. It is a very beautiful place.

Huanuco, Peru

I tried to find some pictures on line. There was some celebrations on U-Tube, but no pictures. I think that Huanuco is off to the left in the distance in the river picture. In the videos it shows Huanuco sitting on the side of the mountain with the river below. Huanuco sits quite pretty atop the river valley and terraced farm hills.

letter of 4-21-08

4-21-08

Huanuco is cool. It is a chill town. It is not huge but pretty big. It reminds me of Cedar. Everyone here is Catholic, everyone!! On Saturday and Sunday the streets are empty cause everyone is in church. You can hear them, “Oh Jesus son of Mary”. It makes contacting kind of tough.
People here are really in love with 3 things. It is so terrible almost all investigators have problems with chastity, drugs and drinking even 12 year olds! I have seen men literally fall on their face trying to walk home from the bar, no joke!
Huanuco is the motorcycle of the world. You always see couples on them. City parks and corners are like make out spots. Most people we contact have to stop kissing before we can talk with them. “free love” I will have to admit the motorcycle thing does look way fun cruising through the pretty down town. Huanuco is very pretty in places.
They have big churches in the downtown central too. We like to ride the 3 wheel machines occasionally.
2 hours away from here is a big drug trafficking area, Tico Maria. We are not allowed to go their only native missionaries can work in that area.
Please keep me in your prayers; I am right on the brink of conquering the language. I need divine help! P-days rock. It is fun to be with the other companions.
Your Son Elder Rogers

Road to Huanaco

5/11/08 Written letters are so slow. We just got this letter yesterday in the snail mail. The email letter on the blog of 4-8-08 tells of this adventure, but this picture is so cute I had to put it up.

First Baptism 3-9-08

Today we had the wonderful opportunity to baptize 6 people. We completed a couple of families. One family had not been to church in a while and we baptized their 16 yr. old daughter and 12 yr. old son and brought them back to church. I baptized the 16 yr. old and another little boy named Jepson. It was a wonderful experience for me my first baptism. We have been working on these 6 the last 3 weeks and today was the day. We went up the hill and got all the families and kids and took them to church.
After church we had the baptism. My little guy got scared when he was in the water because it was freezing and up to his neck! He was all smiles after words! It was a great day for those 6 and me as a missionary. I felt the spirit so strong.

Pictures from Jon's first area in Lima, Peru

These are some pictures from Jon's first area.

To make the images bigger double click on the picture.