Elder Mason Rogers: New Year? You're Telling Me that Last Year is Dunzo?

Happy New Year From La Junta, Colorado!

I hope everyone was responsible and had all the right kind of fun! For new years My comp and I did the craziest thing. We slept. We went to bed at 10:30 and we slept. Suffice to say holidays for missionaries (at least for me) generally just feel like... another day. I just want to start off this letter with gratitude for the amazing people in my life (Y'all) and the amazing family I was put on this earth with. 1 Nephi 1:1 applies to my life so much, and the more families I meet, who don't have the gospel, the more committed I am to raising my own family in the gospel and the more grateful I am for "goodly parents" Thank you.

So without delaying any longer, my week:

Monday: I got the chance to do something I haven't been able to do almost my whole mission. I got to write letters. Lots and Lots and Lots of letters. After letters my companion and I played board games with Jonathan and Crystal, who happen to be some of our investigators. It was a lot of fun! as we drove out to Fowler, a tiny little town 30 minutes from La Junta, for dinner, we came across a raging fire! Which delayed us a good ten minutes from a delicious dinner. Which, as a missionary, is nye unto death. When we got to the supposed address of sustenance we found an empty house, a really creepy empty house. So we swiftly found the correct address, and following all traffic laws, we drove to dinner. Apparently Fowler police have nothing better to do, so they pulled me over. This was the first time in my young life that I was apprehended by the law. Apparently my back lights weren't on, and when he asked for my registration, I couldn't find it. Which was terrifying, to say the least. Luckily, he didn't give me a ticket, only a stern verbal warning. It wasn't pleasant! What matters, is that we got to eat food, and it was a grand old time.

Tuesday: Tuesday was pretty low key, we tracted a lot and found a few potentials, but we had a pretty interesting appointment that night. We were accompanied by our Elders Quorum President to an investigators house who had said that he wasn't interested anymore and had left the copies of the Book of Mormon we had left them outside to be destroyed by the elements. If you want to get me fired up, that's a pretty easy way to do it. Luckily I know that the Spirit can't be around contention, so I didn't give in to my first instinct and verbally roast him to Timbuktu. The natural man in me really wanted to tho. When we got there he talked about some of his concerns and problems he had read about, online, about the church. Just so everybody knows, just because you read it on the internet, doesn't mean its true. Apparently this guy didn't know. All his questions he had he attempted to back up with the scriptures, but awkwardly ended up answering his own questions and proving our points for us. In the end it came down to reading the Book of Mormon to find out if this Church is true and he just flat out refused. Wanting to know if the gospel is true, but refusing to read the Book of Mormon is like hearing about the sun, and refusing to go outside and see for yourself. Absolute facepalm. I know that one day he will be ready to read it and when he does, it will bless his life. I know this because the Gospel has blessed mine, and I know the Book of Mormon is the Word of God.

Wednesday: We went ham in Las Animas and found 3 new investigators and one new less active member to work with. I love being a missionary,it is so awesome to serve the Lord! I kind of feel like Michelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when he says "I Love Being a Turtle!" Except that being a full time missionary is cooler that being a teenage mutant ninja turtle, hands down.

Thursday: We came, We saw, We tracted, We realized it was new years eve and no one was answering the door. Thursday was pretty glacial, but some days are like that. We still somehow found a new investigator, so that was awesome.

Friday: LOL. Friday was just a whole lot of awesome. Just a whole lot of it. So on the way to District meeting, just as we got far enough away from any towns for it to be futile to turn back, the gas light came on. And 14 miles outside of Pueblo, we ran out of gas! Isn't that just awesome! So because of that, District Meeting was thrown off, Exchanges were thrown off, and in my eyes the whole day was thrown off. Luckily for me, God doesn't have my infantile perspective. I got to exchange with Elder Reimer, one of my best buds in the mission, and we got to tract for most of the day. Out of the quarter mile of houses we knocked, only one person was interested. 1. Uno. That's it. BUT it made tracting worth it, and as we taught this 1 person the gospel, the Spirit bore witness to me that she was the reason that I had ran out of gas, that everything seemed to be lagging, that no one had responded. God cares enough about this one person that He delayed our whole day so we could find them. And that made it worth it.

Saturday: Saturday was pretty slow, but we got to meet James, who was a refferal from last week. James is such a golden investigator. He is 14 but has had more life experiences and trials than most 30 year olds. And he is so ready for the gospel. He ate up the whole lesson and the Spirit was so strong. He accepted the baptismal date of the 23rd of January and I just know this gospel will bless his life immensely.

Sunday: Low key Sunday, we weekly planned. It was...exciting.

Anyways, I just want to bare solemn witness that God lives and that He loves us. Individually, personally, and perfectly. Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know Him and I love Him dearly. I testify that afflictions are blessings, even if we don't realize it. I testify that we are given commandments so that we can be happiest. That is what the gospel does, it makes us happiest when we live it. I testify, with all my heart, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God,and that he died for the truth. I also testify that he was a man, and that as a man he made mistakes. It is unfair and plain stupid to expect any more of Joseph Smith than what he gave, which was everything. To echo Elder Anderson let us "Leave brother Joseph alone". If you really want to know if he was a prophet, read the Book of Mormon. Ponder it. Remember just how merciful the Lord has been to the Children of men. Then ask. Ask God if it is not true, I promise you, that God will tell you, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that it is. I know because I have done this. I have lived this. and I have been blessed by it. Skeptiscm is easy, and will ultimately leave you empty. Apply your faith just a little bit more this week, and see if God will not bless you, because He will.

I love you all and miss you dearly,

Much love,

Elder Rogers

Excerpt from My last companion - Elder Thompson - This just shows that God is in control and he uses whoever is available and willing to answer our prayers. He is so aware and concerned about each one of us. IT IS AMAZING TO SERVE HIM!!

This past week we met a new less-active member named Gabe.
*STORY TIME* Gabe has been inactive for quite a long time. My last companion, in La Junta (Elder Rogers) called me on the 24th, to remind me to go find and meet with Gabe in our ward. (Elder Rogers met him somewhere, when he was serving in the springs) So, turns out.. Gabe was literally a 10 second drive up the street we were already on when Elder Rogers called. We walked up to the door and told him we were friends of Elder Rogers.. and we were sent to see him. He instantly started crying and invited us in. He explained that he had to put down his dog (10 yrs old) a few hours ago. He said that about an hour before we arrived, he prayed vocally for the first time in a long time. He prayed for help from Heavenly Father.. and we were there. It was really cool seeing how Heavenly Father had use multiple people to have Gabe receive an answer. We are helping re-activate him, and his room-mate is investigating! Woot Woot!