EMail!

So I wasn't really sure what to write this week so I just took some
excerpts from my President's Letter.  Enjoy!

       Me and Elder Lee found 2 new sweet spot investigators on
splits. Sadly, neither turned out and didn't meet with us when they
said they would BUT, they both have pamphlets and really seemed
interested, they just might've been shy about coming to church. If
they ever want to talk to us they have our number.
       Elder O'Connor and I have been trying to clean up our Area Book
so we've been visiting lots of former investigators. We went to visit
a former investigator who had a baptismal date from before I was even
an idea. Turns out she's still really interested and would like to
take the lessons again! She lives with her super hantai parents though
so we'll have to work to overcome that.
     We visited a less active member with the Shigematsu Fuufu and she
was so awesome! She had Liahonas on her table and her family prays
together and has FHE every week. She just had a hard work schedule...
that she recently got changed! She can make it to church now and she
came today with her kids! She expects to be able to make it every week
from now on! Awesome miracle! She has a kid that's supposed to be
getting baptized soon too. One of us may be doing that.

That's about it for this week as far as to write home about.  Sorry I
didn't email last week, I will try to come up with more to write about
next week.  Love y'all.

Elder Rogers

New Companion!

So we had transfers and I got a new companion! His name is Elder
O'Connor and he's a really good missionary, he always wants to talk to
everyone. It's awesome. We've worked really hard already and I
expect big things this transfer.
We had a BBQ with the ward and a lot of people came so I
introduced Elder O'Connor to everybody. We visited some less actives
and talked to them about families. We sang some primary hymns and
talked about General Conference and it was just a great visit. The
Shigematsus went with us because they're just super awesome senior
missionaries. We visited some other investigators but they don't seem
as cool as last time. They wanted to just talk to us and not really
listen to the lessons so we might not go back.
We had church and it was ward conference so it was a little
crazy. There were a ton of extra people there as there was even the
Kamagaya Bishop(he's in one of those "I'm a Mormon" messages and thus
he is famous amongst missionaries).
I'm going to keep this email super short and just say that this
week was good. We did a lot of good things and are planning on doing
more. Love you everybody!

Elder Rogers

I have a face for radio

Hey everyone,

     I've got another great week to write about.  So this week we had
a member invite us to be guest speakers on her radio show with her.
She asked us to help her teach some very simple English and try to
inspire the young people of Japan to believe in themselves and be
happy.  So we thought it would be great.  We were super excited.  So
we went there and as were walking in she starts filling us in on some
more of the details.  "You'll be sharing a personal experience that
can motivate others, this will be broadcasted live throughout the
whole city and tonight to the whole world, and the hostess may ask you
some questions, good luck."  All of the sudden we were a little bit
more nervous.  I didn't want to sound like a complete idiot on the
radio for everyone to hear.  But we got to the studio and put on our
headphones and listened to some relaxing music for a little bit and we
calmed down.  The radio show went well and we told some good stories,
although I only told half of my story so that was a little bit of a
bummer.  It was a good story too about overcoming fears and obstacles.
But I think everyone got the point anyway.  In the end they said we
did a good job and invited us to come back again soon and try it
again.  Which actually leads me to another important thing that
happened this week, we got transfer calls!
     The other elders are staying together in this area.  My companion
is transferring to Senzokuike, Tokyo where he will be serving in an
English-speaking branch AND a Japanese-speaking branch.  I'm excited
for him, I actually really want to go to that area sometime.  And as
for me, I am staying here in Ushiku!  My new companion will be the new
District Leader.  Since I'm staying here I'll know the area better
than my new companion and so I'll actually take the lead for most
things for a little while.  Also, since I'm staying here I get to
continue working with the members here and may go on the radio again!
I really like this area and am looking forward to another transfer
here.  Now, back to the rest of the week.
     So we got invited to a Brazilian BBQ with the less active/non
member Brazilians in the area and it was fantastic!  I have never had
a Brazilian BBQ before and believe me, it is the best way to BBQ.
They were all super super nice too.  They let me cook with them, and
help their kids with English, and talk about their lives, etc.  It was
great to have them open up to us because we have been trying to get
together with them all transfer.  We just talked about our experiences
with learning other languages (there was English, Japanese, Spanish,
and Portuguese going on at the same time) and it was really funny
talking about our silly mistakes.  Despite there being a few language
barriers everyone liked everyone by the end of the night.  Even the
mom who could only speak Portuguese (we don't speak Portuguese past a
few words) loved us and wanted us to come back soon.  We had some good
conversations about church and we're hoping to get them to come back
soon.
     We also went bowling with the youth and the bishop's son's
family.  It was really fun and I won a game!  Everyone was so genki
(it's like happy and pleasant to be around) and I really got to know
the bishop's son well.  They are amazing!  They are such helpful
people and really took care of the youth and us.  They bought us
BigMacs and Baskin Robbins.  I haven't had a burger in like 6 months
so it was like a little piece of fatty heaven.
     We had Mothers' Day calls!  It was the best to see my family
after so much time away.  They're all a little different than I
remember.  Dallin has a beard now.  Grant's trying to grow a mustache
and his voice is changing.  I didn't recognize Hannah in the pictures
my mom sent.  Scott is a little stud-muffin.  And Mom and Dad are
still some good-lookin' parents.  They teased me about my rice cheeks
and thought it was cool that I'm a radio star now.  My Momma also has
another package waiting for me that she's been holding on to until
after transfer calls.  I don't know what's in it but I'm assuming it's
a lot of snacks and home baked goods.  They think I'm starving or
something.  That or they like my cheeks at the size they are now.  I
love them.
     We had a conference with President Yamashita, he's a general
authority and he's in the Area Presidency.  It was really good and we
all learned a lot.  He told us a story of a sister who set a goal to
get 750 baptisms.  She got 350!  Every week for most of her mission
she got like 13-15 baptisms!  It was crazy.  President Yamashita told
us to raise our vision and have more faith.  If we have faith we can
all do what she did.  I know I want to be able to teach and help that
many people.  So I'm going to try to follow his counsel and go out and
find those who are waiting for me.  Baptize all the people in Japan!
     On Saturday we played Basketball with a less active and his son
and invited them to come to church with us and read the scriptures
together.  They're an awesome family and I have really high hopes for
them.  I want to see the dad be reactivated and his family getting the
blessings of the gospel.
     That's about all I've got for this week, I love all of you guys
and hope your days are bright and cheery.  Remember you can make the
path-way bright, fill the soul with heav-en's light, if there's
sun-shine in your heeeeaart.  :)

Elder Rogers

Brazilian BBQ

Bowling scores-Mine is the 4th one down. (The winner)

The guys we played basketball with and shared a message.

Mothers' Day Call

Radio Station

To the parents of Elder King and Elder Rogers;
Hi! I am Sister Tobe in Ushiku ward. Your sons are serving here in our ward and we love them so dearly. I have a ...30 minutes program on radio every week and they talked in it today. The theme of this program is "Encouragement". And they talked about how their parents encouraged them when they were young. We were impressed! You will hear some part in English. Here's the recording of it and I hope you will enjoy it. Thank you for sending such great servants of the Lord. I know how proud you are and so are we!!

今日の放送 Today's Recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyW1sHhQr5o

 

Mother's Day calls are next week! That and Transfer Calls.‏

Herro everybody,

So this week was pretty good.  We met a few new people with a lot of
potential.  There is a guy who works for a non-profit organization and
is always super busy, but we can meet him at night sometimes and he's
very interested.  Sister Tobe is awesome and when we have to go home
she keeps talking to them and has had really good conversations with
them.  Actually they're a lot more like lessons because she's just so
awesome.  I also met a skateboard shop owner who has been to church
before and he wants to come back sometime.  So we're really excited
for that.  Other than that we've had some meal appointments with some
members that have gone really well.  They've invited all four elders
and there have been investigators there and lessons and everything
just works out great.  We had fast Sunday and it was awesome.  To
break our fast we went to a member's house and it was just a great
experience.  The dad usually has a resting face that looks like he
hates everyone around him but while we were there he was actually
smiling!  I thought his face might crack!  It was awesome.  Tonight we
had a party with our Brazilian friend Jose and his posse for his
birthday.  We are really excited for that.  Next week is transfer
calls so I may or may not be staying here.  I hope I do stay because I
really like it here.  We also have Mothers Day Calls home, that is
something I'm really really really looking forward to as well.  I can
Skype my family for 40 minutes!  And I will have been out here for 1/4
of my mission!  Time sure flies.
Love you all

Elder Rogers

Good Times‏

Hello everyone,

     This week was pretty awesome.  We did some of this and some of that and had a great time.  Me and Elder King went to Tsukuba for splits again.  I went with our district leader Elder Nielsen.  We went to teach a practice lesson with a lady on her doorstep, but her nonmember husband was there so it turned into an actual lesson.  It was awesome.  It went really well and he really liked having us there.  Then we went and did some service in a lady's garden and just talked to her while we pulled weeds and such.  It was really good talking to her, she had a daughter that served in Fukuoka!  (That mission includes my homeward). So it was really cool.  We had JSL, Japanese Sign Language, and it was a ton of fun.  I actually retained a bit of it and it was really interesting.  I was having people explain a language (JSL) to me in another non-native language (Japanese) but I actually understood and had a lot of fun.

     We did Eikaiwa (English conversation class) on Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon all about food and everyone really enjoyed it.  One lady even wore some special earrings shaped like hamburgers and hot dogs the first time and then oranges the second time.  Apparently old people like natto, fermented beans.  Why?  I don't know.  They're supposed to be healthy for you or something but I don't know why that would be true.

     We had a dinner and practice lesson appointment with our Bishop.  We thought it was on Friday night but he called us Thursday night and was like, "It's raining so I'm going to drive you to my house.  Come downstairs and let's go."  So we went.  Bishop knows I'm pretty new to the mission and so he wanted to test my teaching skills.  He practically ignored my companion and just kept addressing everything to me.  We taught him about the importance of the Gift of the Holy Ghost and how we need to be baptized to receive it.  Him and his wife were pretending to be investigators.  She was good cop, he was bad cop. :). He asked a lot of questions trying to throw us off, but we withstood him in all things and were not confounded of men.  We also taught a really good lesson.  Every hard question he asked we just built the explanation into the lesson.  It was really fun.  Afterward he said we were really good teachers (pointing at me and only actually talking to me, he was ignoring my companion because this test was for me). He told us to keep doing what we were doing and he'd love to have us over again sometime.

     We also set a baptismal date with one of our investigators!  He's an old guy who teaches English and he's been taught everything the missionaries teach.  He comes to church all the time and he really wants to be baptized and get the priesthood.  His wife is strongly opposed to him being baptized though.  He's dealt with this for a while now and he was finally just like, "I'm going to show my faith and go for it.  My wife will change her mind if I'm a good example."  We were so excited for him.

     We visited a less active family and played with their 9-yr-old boy and helped him with his homework.  Then we shared President Monson's talk "Choices".  The dad is a less active member, his family is not.  The dad asked us if he made mistakes could he still come back to church.  And we were like, "YEAH!  *clears throat, becomes dignified once more*  Of course you can.  God loves us and will always allow us to come back to Him."  He asked us to sing the children's hymn "I am a Child of God" for him because he hadn't heard it in like 20 years.  We decided we would sing it with him and his family and he really loved it.  I love his family and think they're great people.  They plan on coming back to church for the first time in 20 years next week!

     And last but not least, we had a party last night.  The Tobe family invited us over for an event last night.  There were 20 or so people and we were going to have dinner and practice English together and talk about the link between psychological health and religion and then talk a little about the church and what missionaries teach about.  It went beautifully.  We talked about positive and negative thinking and where it comes from.  *Cough* Holy Ghost=positive *cough*. Everyone there was interested and wanted to know more.  Isn't that great!?  It was also a couple people's birthdays so we had cake and sang too.  Missionaries can take out a 2 cakes in about 3 minutes it turns out.  Sister Tobe let us loose and told us to clean up anything and everything left over.  It was great.  Oh yeah, Sister Tobe is friends with one of my friends from my last area, Brother Ito.  They both love missionaries and I love them right back.  I won't say they're my favorite people so far because I love everyone equally, but they are favored in my sight and I don't mind spending extra time with them.

     So I didn't think a lot happened this week until I started writing this email but now I see that I've been so blessed here.  I didn't even write everything!  But I really like the people here and how open and incredible they are.  I've gotten close with a lot of people here already and I really hope I get to stay here for a little while longer.  I don't want another surprise transfer just when I'm getting settled in.

     I love you all, thank you for brightening up my day by being awesome people and whatnot.  Y'know, feel free to write me back anytime really.  My email isn't just for my family (although they will take precedence you if I'm limited on replying time (: ).  I love you guys and take care.

Elder Rogers

Interviews with the Mission President‏

Hey everyone,
     This week was pretty uneventful.  We missionary-ed just like
usual.  We rode a lot of trains and it was pretty fun.  I like trains.
We had a Zone Blitz.  That's when all the missionaries in a big area
come to a small area and just proselyte like crazy.  You end up with
like 16-24 missionaries in one town and everyone freaks out wondering
what's going on.  I went with Elder Watabe and we talked to people by
the college.

This is half of my zone. Elder Beckstrand, Elder Lee, and Sister Solomon are here!
We had a zone meeting too. Me and my companion taught everybody how to missionary and then everybody went out for lunch together. It was a great experience.
A couple of days ago I got to have an interview with President and Sister Nagano. I got to ask questions about how to be a better missionary and get great feedback. Sister Nagano taught me how to be a good person and be healthy. Then she gave me a brownie and a cookie. :)
We played basketball with the guys in the area and it was a lot of fun. We're going to try to start a tournament with people in this area and maybe other areas too every month or so. We think it'll be a good way for everyone to make friends (or enemies ;) ) and have a lot of fun. It should also be a great way for us to find people to teach. That's about it for his week.
I love you guys so much, take care.
Elder Rogers

View from the apartment.

My desk is the brown one.