MERRY LATE CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY EARLY NEW YEAR!

Hey Family and Friends!<3

I hope you had all your wildest dreams come true on Christmas and hope you all have a Happy New Year!🎆🎇🎊🎉 I know I have made some killer, awesome 2017 goals! Especially to end strong the last 6 months of my mission (or it's actually less than that now)! :/ Here are some of the craziness that has happened the last week:) :

-The Wyoming 3 Elders, Elder Julander and Anderson, had a baptism! His name is Yunuen and he is legit! He even got to be confirmed on Christmas! Best Christmas present ever!:)

-Got to go caroling with our ward mission leader, Brother Linford, and his family! They are awesome and we love them! (P.S. Caroling is the best way to find EVER!)

-Had our half-mission Christmas party where the Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and some of the Lansing Zones got together here in Grand Rapids and had a party! It was so much fun!:)

-Went to Hasting's (our District Leader's) baptism on Christmas Eve! Maybe even the most spiritual baptism I have been to on my mission! After 12 years of going to church with his active wife, one son just got home from a mission, one son is just leaving on a mission, and one son is getting married in the temple today!, Chris Patterson came home from work a couple weeks ago and told his wife that he was ready and it was time for him to be baptized. The spirit and tears at that baptism was unreal! Such an amazing Christmas gift to me!<3

-Had trade-offs with Ludington and got to spend the day here in Wyoming with the awesome Sister Nording!:) I learned so much from her! She has such a calming and peaceful spirit about her and she is such a hard worker! I think I needed that trade-off more than she did!;)

-Andy (one of our investigators) called us a couple days before Christmas saying he hadn't forgot about us! He is just having crazy family problems and the holidays have been keeping him busy! He said he wanted to meet with us after January 1st! Such a tender mercy and miracle!:)

-Christmas Eve was spent eating Mexican food, a.k.a. deep fried chimichangas (spelled something like that...haha), at the Openshaw's with a ton of their family and the elders!

-Christmas Day was spent having breakfast with the elders at the church (before church), our beautiful Christmas program, going to the Coipel's where they gave us a gift and stoking (so nice!), ate brunch (SO MUCH FOOD!), AND GOT TO SKYPE OUR FAMILIES! BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER! Then we got to go eat dinner, play games, and chill with the elders at the Valverde's home for the rest of the night!

I have had such an amazing last Christmas on my mission! I have been so blessed to come serve in "The Greatest Mission in The World" and I am pumped to keep sharing the light of the world, our Savior Jesus Christ, this season! Love you all and hope you have a STELLAR New Year!:)

--

Remember the church is true and I love you!

<3Sister Rogers<3

Michigan Lansing Mission

                    Merry Christmas from our ugly Christmas sweaters and the huge Christmas trees at the mall! Haha!:)

Got to see my homie, Sister Mathis, who I served in Lansing with at the Half-Mission Christmas Party! Love her!<3 Haha! (And she may kill me for sending this home!)

Christmas Day with my gorgeous companion, Sister Vera! We are hoping that we stay together this next transfer! We figure out on Friday (New Year's Eve!!!)

Us at Half Mission Christmas Party!:) (P.S. Transfers are the day before New Year's Eve...opppsss...)

Another from Half-Mission

So all of these wonderful sisters are in my family tree and related to me somehow! (We were just missing my momma and a couple other sisters that were in the other half mission!)

And a crazy one....because that is all families.....;)

Week 54: The True Meaning of Christmas

Hey Family and Friends!<3

I hope you all have had a very Merry Christmas and continue to! Especially in Arizona with your warm and sunny weather! It has been an arctic wasteland here lately! But I am cool with it.....*bu dum cha*....it looks like we will be having a white Christmas!:D

So I decided to do a little something different today. I feel inspired to share a journal entry that really helped me understand the true meaning of Christmas this year. I hope you can feel the spirit as I share it and that it motivates you to share Christ's light with others.

December 10, 2016

This morning was one of those "miracle mornings" that we are often blessed with on missions. However, it was a tender mercy because we were given an answer to a "why?" question from Heavenly Father that can often be harder/more challenging to receive/understand. We unfortunately couldn't make it to the Holland Sisters' baptism because of the crazy snow and our lack of a car (members willing/wanting to drive in it-I don't blame them. We didn't even want to risk anything.) We felt bad because we wanted to be supportive sister training leaders and the zone leaders and Wyoming 3 elders were even going. But we prayed and we both received the answer, "Why are you asking me? You already know the answer." So we head off to door knock and head the opposite way because I felt like we should. And what do you know? There was a kind, young man that we were able to give a Christmas, Mormon.org card. Then, we had to make a pit stop at a gas station to use the restroom and had we gone the other way, we would've had to wait for a couple hours. We stopped at the gas station, used the bathroom, I bought 2 donuts ('cause why not?), gave the cashier a Christmas card, and then we headed on our way to door knock.

I happily ate, shared, and enjoyed my donuts. Meanwhile, a truck with a trailer happened to spray us with dirty slush (and A LOT of it). He didn't mean to, but it made me a little grumpy, and of course I happened to be the one standing closest to the road. But on we walk.......we ask one lady if we can help her shovel her snow and she politely declines because she's almost done. But we see a little ways on an old man who looked weary and was struggling to even pick up his shovel. From how little he had done, it looked like it would take him all morning to finish. We dodge traffic and run across the street to offer to help him. He gratefully and politely accepted and me and Sister Vera shoveled away. Well, as we were shoveling I could feel my Grandpa Rogers with me and that he was proud of me. I said a silent prayer in my head for my hands and wrists to not ache for the rest of the day due to my arthritis and shoveled on.

Well, the man happened to be 72 years old and his name was James (or Jim-he said for short). Just like grandpa. I felt so grateful in that moment for that experience and the joy I felt for serving that man. He told us that was only their 2nd winter living in that house and thanked us with a dozen, free eggs from their chickens. We told them we don't need/take pay or money, but they insisted on the eggs. Now I know why we didn't go to Holland. I got my "why?" And as I walked home to our apartment happily carrying the eggs, I prayed to thank God that my hands didn't even slightly hurt.

I hope that you all felt the spirit as you read that. I know the true meaning of Christmas is Christ and all he did for us while on the earth. Let's keep that service and love moving forward as we spread the light of Christ this Christmas season. Love you all! Merry Christmas!:)

--

Remember the church is true and I love you!

<3Sister Rogers<3

Michigan Lansing Mission

Because I am sure his mom would appreciate this and because I crack short jokes to him ALL.THE.TIME. BAHAHAHA.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE WYOMING WARD MISSIONARIES!<3

Love this sister of mine!<3 I guess we will see what happens to us after Christmas.....

Week 53: Church is Cancelled......is that even possible?.....

Hey Family and Friends!<3

So this week was CRAZY BUSY and REALLY WHITE! The snow is dumping here in Grand Rapids! It looks like I will get my FIRST, WHITE CHRISTMAS!!! :D It was actually so snowy yesterday that they cancelled church! (There's a first time for everything I guess.....) But me and Sister Vera had a blast this week, it is definitely starting to feel more like Christmas! It literally is like magic in the air! Especially with all this snow, hot chocolate, and happy people wanting to be more Christlike! I love it! Here are some of the things that went on this week:

-Blitz with the Grand Rapids Sisters!:) Got to spend time with my posterity and go back to my old area! I loved it! And we may have had a little bit too much fun seeing as I found out I am a total loser when it comes to leg wrestling....don't ask.....

-Trade-offs with Grand Valley as well! Got to go to Grand Valley with Sister Robertson and hear stories about my dad on his mission while I ate Marv's yummy burritos! Man, do I have blackmail on my dad! (Marv got the pleasure of serving a mission with my dad in the England Birmingham Mission).

-Michigan Lansing Council! Got to go to my home in Lansing and see all the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders in the mission! Meaning I got to see my mission mama, Sister Nelson! Love her!<3 We even got to plan for our awesome Half Mission Christmas Party happening next Wednesday here in Grand Rapids.

-Watched the Christmas Devotional with Sister Peggy Toy. A cute, old, cat lady we got visit and see. She is less active because of her health. Every time I leave there it confirms to me more and more that I am allergic to cats. #canyousayichy

-Door knocked for 3 hours in the pouring snow and figured out that my boots have holes in them. I came home to soaking wet, freezing feet! Thanks dad, for the new boots!:D Hallejuah for living close to a mall!

-Shoveled snow for a old man named Jim! He was 72 and it was the cutest thing ever! He told us he couldn't pay us and we said, "That's ok! We do it for free!" He was so happy when we left he insisted we take a dozen eggs from his own chickens. And then he shook our hands and gave Sister Vera a cute, awkward hug. It was so cool. Service is what Christmas is all about. I will have to tell more of the story next week when I have time!:)

Anyways, I love you all so much! Enjoy the Christmas season! Don't stress! Spend time with family and serve others! That is literally the best feeling ever and the true meaning of Christmas!<3

--

Remember the church is true and I love you!

<3Sister Rogers<3

Michigan Lansing Mission

Blitz (where me & Sister Vera go spend the day in an area) with the Grand Rapids Sisters this week! Got to go back to my old area for a day! Loved it!:D 

My granddaughter, Sister MacArthur, and me door knockin' in the snow!:) 

Trade-offs with Sister Robertson in Grand Valley!:)

So we figured out Sister Rogers STINKS at leg wrestling....the things we do on trade-offs....in our spare time of course....

This is Marv Rameriz! One of the coolest guys I know! He served a mission with my dad in the England Birmingham Mission and I got luckily because on trade-offs with Grand Valley I got to have lunch with him! Love this guy! (And dad, he wants you to send him this picture!)

Looking out of our study room window=beautiful!<3

Week 52: Christmas is HERE! (A.K.A. This fluffy, white stuff)

Hey Family and Friends!:)

Well...this week has come and gone so fast I don't even really remember what happened. Here are some highlights of the week:

1.) Trade-offs with Big Rapids and I got to stay in Wyoming and be with my sweet, goddaughter, Sister Newby again!:)

2.) Got do service at Railside and help them decorate for Christmas and do glamour shots with the residents to give to their families for Christmas! It was so fun! And my favorite, hilarious resident, Norma, told me I looked like I was 8, and then my other 101 year old friend, Bunny, looked at me and told me I looked like I was 60. It was hilarious!;) 

3.) We got to have interviews with President on Thursday and him and Sister Jacobsen came up from Lansing so it was exciting to spend the day with them!:) I just love President Jacobsen. He is the best!:)

4.) Shannon got sick and Lily fractured her thumb and bruised her face (from skating) the day after we put them on date! (Satan is a dog!) We are still teaching them, they just couldn't come to church due to that! Pray for them, please!

5.) We had a killer lesson with Sister Bell. We watched the restoration video and we are trying to help her get back to the temple. The spirit was so strong and she is understanding the gospel better. (She really didn't remember anything from the missionaries before she got baptized years ago.)

Anyways, sorry, it has been a crazy emailing day and I don't have much time! But I love you all! And I hope you keep doing the 25 days of Christ initiative! You will see miracles as you do so! Love you all and have a STELLAR week!

--

Remember the church is true and I love you!

<3Sister Rogers<3

Michigan Lansing Mission

Good, ol' door knocking days! 

Dinner appointment at the Emery's & a visit with Sister Young, my old STL.  I miss & love her sooooo much! :D