Driving, driving, and more... driving 🚙🚙🚙
Date
March 12, 2024
Area
Las Vegas, Nevada
Companion
Driving, driving, and more... driving 🚙🚙🚙
I've driven more this week than I think I ever have any other week of my life!!! That's what happens when the other elders in your stake live an hour away!
On the plus side, it's given me a lot of driving experience- I'm now an expert at dodging potholes and passing semis. On another plus side, the drive is GORGEOUS! Rolling mountains, hills, vast desert landscapes punctured by rising cliffs of buttes and mesas. The landscapes seems to me as if God carefully scooped out this valley with his hands, his fingers pushing the mountains into shape and scraping out the sagebrush plains.
Panaca is up north enough we'll even spot some snow and pines on the way there for exchanges. And back in Alamo, the other day we just looked at the stars for a while before turning in, you can see the milky way at night, that's how clear it is. In contrast, the Las Vegas sky seems like you're looking through fogged glass.
So, lots of driving which is tiring but ok, because the view is great. This past weekend I drove up to panaca for stake conference, had an exchange afterwards, then back down to Alamo, and then immediately down to Las Vegas for another exchange and P Day. I drove about 300 miles in one day!
Unfortunately the other elders live in the "bunker" aka "the Dungeon"- a small basement with only 2 beds and a couple leaky air mattresses. Sleeping arrangements are uncomfortable but manageable, we usually end up having to do a "Megabed", where we scoot the beds together and line up like sardines. The other night I ended up kinda squished into the wall. Such is the mission life, we're just a bunch of religious hobos crashing at each other's humble living spaces.
Teaching has been slow, but peppered with tender mercies. I think that I still need to learn how to trust the spirit to guide those we're teaching towards the truth.
We had stake conference with General authority Elder Bunker up in Panaca, and a couple people we're teaching watched it digitally. The talks were all really good.
We've been helping to build a house! We're currently doing the sheetrock for the ceiling and walls.
We had a great trip to the Cedar City temple! It was fun to dip into Utah for a little bit. We were treated very nicely there! I don't think that temple saw missionaries very much, and all the temple workers wanted to shake our hands walking out, it was really sweet.
Played basketball the other night with people in the community, including a couple non members. Sport finding is big here, baseball season has started so we've started going to the games- we can contact half the city there and watch a game, it's awesome!
We have people that are so close to progressing towards baptism, so I'm asking for your prayers! If you'd be willing to, please pray for;
- Nani
- Finn
- Kerry
- AJ
- Dorian
- Lisa
- Tom
James 5:16-
"...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man [or woman] availeth much"
I mentioned before we had stake conference this past weekend, and id like to share my favorite message from it-
One of the speakers, President Packer, talked about his experience working at the juvenile detention facility- how he noticed a lot of tattoos representing "Mi Vida Loca", My Crazy Life. It's a tattoo of three dots, usually on the face or webbing of the hand between the forefinger and thumb, representing the three places they believe they will end up- Jail, the hospital, or the grave.
He then said that while at the temple, the worker who took his recommend had those tattoos on his hand, and saw the same hand later in the temple. He then emphasized that nobody is beyond the reach of Jesus Christ.
This talk hit me like a sack of bricks. I felt so impacted from it. It was a beautiful reminder of the saving power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I don't believe the savior loves those who repent of little sins any more or less than those who repent of greater sins- in fact, I believe overcoming those great challenges in our lives gives us an increased ability to testify of the Saviors love. It doesn't mean there's any need to create a need for redemption- that will come whether we want it to or not- but I do believe it means we can know the truth from Ether 12:27- that Jesus can make our weaknesses our strength.
Love you all! Sorry this is so long, my brain rambles sometimes. Side note, "Ramble On" is a great song. I think Aerosmith made it? Maybe Guns N Roses? My pop culture knowledge is rusty.
Love ya'all! 💙
- Elder 🏜 Rogers
Pics:
Me. E. Powell, and E. Tucker at cedar city temple
Our missionary group in front of the welcome to Utah sign
Putting in sheetrock
Me in front of the temple
Some dude we helped move gave me this ancient, beat up, sleeves cut off Trump 2016 shirt. On the back it has Donald trump in the superman costume. It's hilarious.
On the plus side, it's given me a lot of driving experience- I'm now an expert at dodging potholes and passing semis. On another plus side, the drive is GORGEOUS! Rolling mountains, hills, vast desert landscapes punctured by rising cliffs of buttes and mesas. The landscapes seems to me as if God carefully scooped out this valley with his hands, his fingers pushing the mountains into shape and scraping out the sagebrush plains.
Panaca is up north enough we'll even spot some snow and pines on the way there for exchanges. And back in Alamo, the other day we just looked at the stars for a while before turning in, you can see the milky way at night, that's how clear it is. In contrast, the Las Vegas sky seems like you're looking through fogged glass.
So, lots of driving which is tiring but ok, because the view is great. This past weekend I drove up to panaca for stake conference, had an exchange afterwards, then back down to Alamo, and then immediately down to Las Vegas for another exchange and P Day. I drove about 300 miles in one day!
Unfortunately the other elders live in the "bunker" aka "the Dungeon"- a small basement with only 2 beds and a couple leaky air mattresses. Sleeping arrangements are uncomfortable but manageable, we usually end up having to do a "Megabed", where we scoot the beds together and line up like sardines. The other night I ended up kinda squished into the wall. Such is the mission life, we're just a bunch of religious hobos crashing at each other's humble living spaces.
Teaching has been slow, but peppered with tender mercies. I think that I still need to learn how to trust the spirit to guide those we're teaching towards the truth.
We had stake conference with General authority Elder Bunker up in Panaca, and a couple people we're teaching watched it digitally. The talks were all really good.
We've been helping to build a house! We're currently doing the sheetrock for the ceiling and walls.
We had a great trip to the Cedar City temple! It was fun to dip into Utah for a little bit. We were treated very nicely there! I don't think that temple saw missionaries very much, and all the temple workers wanted to shake our hands walking out, it was really sweet.
Played basketball the other night with people in the community, including a couple non members. Sport finding is big here, baseball season has started so we've started going to the games- we can contact half the city there and watch a game, it's awesome!
We have people that are so close to progressing towards baptism, so I'm asking for your prayers! If you'd be willing to, please pray for;
- Nani
- Finn
- Kerry
- AJ
- Dorian
- Lisa
- Tom
James 5:16-
"...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man [or woman] availeth much"
I mentioned before we had stake conference this past weekend, and id like to share my favorite message from it-
One of the speakers, President Packer, talked about his experience working at the juvenile detention facility- how he noticed a lot of tattoos representing "Mi Vida Loca", My Crazy Life. It's a tattoo of three dots, usually on the face or webbing of the hand between the forefinger and thumb, representing the three places they believe they will end up- Jail, the hospital, or the grave.
He then said that while at the temple, the worker who took his recommend had those tattoos on his hand, and saw the same hand later in the temple. He then emphasized that nobody is beyond the reach of Jesus Christ.
This talk hit me like a sack of bricks. I felt so impacted from it. It was a beautiful reminder of the saving power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I don't believe the savior loves those who repent of little sins any more or less than those who repent of greater sins- in fact, I believe overcoming those great challenges in our lives gives us an increased ability to testify of the Saviors love. It doesn't mean there's any need to create a need for redemption- that will come whether we want it to or not- but I do believe it means we can know the truth from Ether 12:27- that Jesus can make our weaknesses our strength.
Love you all! Sorry this is so long, my brain rambles sometimes. Side note, "Ramble On" is a great song. I think Aerosmith made it? Maybe Guns N Roses? My pop culture knowledge is rusty.
Love ya'all! 💙
- Elder 🏜 Rogers
Pics:
Me. E. Powell, and E. Tucker at cedar city temple
Our missionary group in front of the welcome to Utah sign
Putting in sheetrock
Me in front of the temple
Some dude we helped move gave me this ancient, beat up, sleeves cut off Trump 2016 shirt. On the back it has Donald trump in the superman costume. It's hilarious.
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