GAH.

So my companion has a dentist's appointment and I don't have any time :( I want you all to know that I love you and I'm going to give y'all a two-week update. Also, I'm getting a new camera this week :) I love you all! BYE

OH MYGOSH THE OGDEN TEMPLE

Love you :)

-- 

Sister Annika Rogers

Isaiah 49:16

Merry Freakin' Christmas, errybody :)‏

Well, transfers came and went and whaddya know  -I'M SERVING IN THE HISTORIC LIBERTY JAIL. Say What! So many Visitors' Center Sisters never get a chance to serve here, I'm so humbled by this. It's been incredible to sit in the same room as the jail and feel the spirit there. It truly is a prison temple. My new companion's name is Sister Singh (as in "sing a song"), and she's awesome :) she's also from Fiji, so the three inches of snow we got on Sunday were quite awesome. I get to drive while there's snow and ice...I feel like I'm going to be driving a lot in the next few months.

(PS mom, those stockings are the BEST. We bless your name every day - you're a saint.)

Leaving Olathe was so hard. the night before I left, the ward had a little goodbye party and many tears were shed. I'm going to miss those people a lot, but I know the Lord has called me here for a reason. This area, Shoal Creek, is moving a lot slower than it was in Olathe...but Sister Singh and I have some great ideas for pumping this area up. We've met a couple of the members and they're great...but we didn't have church yesterday because of the snow. So I pretty much don't know anyone. Worst. Ever. I knew everyone in Olathe! This is definitely going ot take some work...and some miracles.

This Christmas is going to be a different one than I'm used to, but being in the Liberty Jail on a daily basis has truly helped. Because no matter how lonely or homesick I get, my Christmas experience cannot be any more difficult than December 25th, 1838, when Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Alexander McRae, Caleb Baldwin, and Lyman Wight spent their Christmas in a basement prison behind four-foot thick walls, with the only news from their families being the saints' departure from Missouri, amidst persecution and violence unimaginable.

I wanted to give you a long, meaningful email about this season, but all I feel impressed to do is to bear my testimony that, as one of His servants, Jesus Christ lives. He was truly born in Bethlehem, amidst angels' songs and shepherds' praise  - he came for you and me, to save us from our sins. He loves us. If you feel alone, you are not, because He is aware of you. D&C 50:41&42
"41 Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me;

42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost"

I love you all and hope this finds you well :) Merry Christmas

-- 
Sister Annika Rogers

Mary had a little Lamb,
and He became our Shepherd.

No coat, no tights...I have a problem.

It's like 55 degrees out there. Somebody PLEASE tell Kansas that it's December 16th and this sister needs some snow.

One of the members in a neighboring ward is taking us to get pedicures (EEEEEEEEE), so this won't be too long. We also have a zone Christmas party :D so that's where I'll be for the rest of today.

This week has been an awesome one. Sister Doolittle was called to train on Friday, which means that I'm definitely leaving the Olathe 2nd ward. We got home that night and I called the Relief Society president to tell her and just cried a little bit. I've spent half my mission (literally) here. Leaving is going to be so difficult. I won't know until Tuesday night where I'm going, but it will definitely be to an area in the Independence Visitor's Center or the Historic Liberty Jail. No, because I served in the VC before doesn't mean I'll go to the Jail. Legitimately no idea - I just know I'm leaving. Stinks, huh. I have a list of people to say goodbye to...just kidding I highlighted the whole roster. I got a really cute goodbye card from a family - I'll attach a picture.

Sister Doolittle got the stomach flu this week, so I got to take one of the Laurels out with me. It was a blast and we saw some pretty sweet miracles. We also had an all mission conference and that was a blast. I think I was sick, though, because I didn't get the headache of pure excitement and happiness that I usually do. whatever's up with that.

In other news, my follow up trainer, Sister Lettig, goes home this week. Sad. Day. Yo. I'm gonna miss that little lamanite and all the goodness she taught me.

I'll be sending a package home, so I'll write on it where I'm going :) Love you all! Sorry this is short!

PS IF YOU SEND ME ANYTHING THAT I CAN'T OPEN UNTIL CHRISTMAS PLEASE LABEL IT AS SUCH

 -- 

Sister Annika Rogers

Isaiah 49:16

T-minus 16 days and counting...‏

YES! Christmas is the best time of the year :) It gives people an excuse to be nice to each other. And it gives us a chance to direct our thoughts more willingly towards the Christ child and all that His birth means. I read a quote from President Monson a moment ago that pressed on my heart - he mentioned all of us spiritually taking the journey to Bethlehem. Can you imagine for a moment that you are a wiseman or a shepherd, walking along the dusty path towards the city. If you are a shepherd, some stray sheep wander with you, huffing and pressing on your legs, not to be annoying but simply because they enjoy being near you. Maybe there is dirt in your sandals, or perhaps you're barefoot. The city is dark, people are sleeping, the song of the angels is still ringing in your ears. Or perhaps you're a wiseman - two long years you've spent pursuing that star. You are tired, your camel or horse is exhausted, but as you see Bethlehem in the distance, you feel a spiritual rush, because you know your King is close.

We are all coming from afar to celebrate the birth of our savior. Each of us is on the road of our own spiritual journey - for the month of December, I want you to be journeying towards Bethlehem. How fast are you moving? Are you dragging your feet? Are you singing as you go? Or have you stopped and sat on a rock by the highway in discouragement because  you feel that He is just too far away.

He is never far away. The only distance that comes between us and Christ is the distance that we create.

This week I had the privilege of seeing a spiritual journey reach a milestone. Bailee, who has been taught by missionaries for three years, was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ on December 7th. The service was incredible - there were about 100 people in attendance. After the actual baptism, I was trying to imagine how she had to be feeling right then. "What," I thought, "Have I received after wanting it for 3 years?" I realized there wasn't anything I'd wanted for three years. Or two years. Or even one. If I had been told to wait a few years for something, I would have given up. I do not have that kind of determination naturally.

Brothers and sisters, wherever  you may be, whatever you may be desiring, the Lord is aware of you. He answers prayers in His time. Do not worry, do not be afraid - miracles may not always come when we think they should or in the way we imagined, but they always come. We simply have to be moving on our spiritual path with our eyes open to see them. Kind of like looking for spare change on the sidewalk. That's kind of a funny analogy, but it fits. A while ago I asked you to look for miracles (spare change) and send them to me, and I eagerly anticipate receiving those. There is nothing that lifts a missionary like hearing of miracles that are blessing their family.

I love you all :)

 - 

Sister Annika Rogers

Our tree

A really sweet nativity!

What season is it?

Because it's been like 60 degrees for the past couple days.

We're going bowling, so I don't have a whole lot of time, but I'll keep it short :) 

Went to Lenexa for a day on an exchange, (since I'm an Area Supervisor) had a lot of fun and walked a lot of miles. My knees were less than happy with me. Bailee is on track to being baptized on Saturday! YES. And I think I have a sinus infection. Sister Merrill gave me this sinus rinse stuff and it's disgusting but also really cool. Kind of like all Mom's ICU stories. Pretty much squeezing salt water up one nostril, filling my sinus, and then letting it drain out the other nostril. Nasty, right? I KNOW.

And we bought a Christmas tree today :) Love you all!

-- 

Sister Annika Rogers

Isaiah 49:16

Sister Hunter, my exchange companion.

still can't beat a Kansas sunset.

Me wearing both gramma's presents :) Necklace from Gramma E and blouse from Gramma R :D

Faith Preceeds the Miracle‏

Hello, all my lovelies! It's a balmy thirty degrees here in Olathe, KS with your favorite sister missionarycicle :)

This week has been so awesome. I've had to number the miracles that I write in my journal (yes, in my journal. Count that as miracle # 0).

First of all, let's just talk about the miracle that I'm not sick yet. Everyone in Olathe is sick right now. In fact, by the sound of things out in UT, it sounds like most of 'Murica is sick right now.

Secondly, let's talk about the miracle that we have an appointment tonight with a part-member family and I'm SO STOKED. This nonmember is so prepared - she just refuses to acknowledge it. So we arranged our evening so that she could be there for our dinner, which leaves us eating at 7 pm (which is the latest I've eaten dinner since I left the VC), but you sacrifice for the things you love :) Like helping people come to Jesus (Tanner, I just had this memory of you singing that song on that one Sunday... "Climb to Jesus...Swim to Jesus...Fly to Jesus...Crawl to Jesus...Roll to Jesus... Hahaha man, you still crack me up from two states away.)

Thirdly in the ways of miracles, I want to tell you a story about Brother Bagley. Brother Bagley used to write for Hallmark cards, and his wit is about as sharp as his ballpoint pen (not that sharp, now that I think about it, but compare the ballpoint pen to the broad side of a two by four. Pretty sharp, huh? Huh??) Anyways, Brother Bagley had a massive stroke about two months ago and actually  had a clot the size of a golf ball that was removed. The doctors were saying that he would get about 80% back at the most, if he got anything back. Pretty dire straits. When Sister Ewell and I heard, we were devastated. I think everybody else was trying to brace me for the worst, because as soon as I heard, I just felt like he would get better. Now, especially with strokes, there's a difference with being okay and getting better. So people would say, "Did you hear about Brother Bagley?" And I would just be like, "Yeah - he's going to get better so fast, just you wait!" I just knew Heavenly Father would bring a miracle to the Olathe 2nd ward through the Bagleys.

Well.

Brother Bagley's come to church and taken the sacrament for two weeks now. Sister Doolittle went and sat with him and had an hour-long visit with him and his wife.

Faith - no matter the source - will always precede miracles, no matter what kind of miracles they may be. You're hearing this from the girl who couldn't move half her face two months ago :)

Anyways, I know that this email is pretty brief, and the pictures were few, but know that I still love you all :) I hope you're still seeing miracles wherever you are.

LOVE YOU

PS Christmas is seeping through at a WalMart near you... XD

-- 

Sister Annika Rogers

Forgot to add my challenge.

For Family Home Evening tonight, I would challenge you to have every person in your family talk about a miracle that they've seen or heard about or witnessed or read about. Write it down. Send it to me. I'm going to tape them on my wall :)

Me and Sister Doolittle in our matching shirts :)

This is me with Brother and Sister Bagley

The dog that our less actives got. not too happy about it, but he is cute. His name is Boomer.

Sister Area Supervisor

I've seen it all.‏

Well hello there, everybody! So we had a wide range of experiences this week and I'd like to tell you of some of them :) But I have limited time because I was looking up pictures of temples. So here's the rundown.

1. We got yelled off a doorstep for the first time.

2. We got a miracle referral from a less active member! We see them tonight.

3. Transfers came and I said goodbye to my companion of four months - PEACE OUT YO.

4. My new comp is Sister Doolittle and she's a rockstar.

5. I've been called as an Area Supervisor, which is the equivalent of a district leader for sisters, except without the priesthood and accountabilities.

Anyways, I'm totes out of time but I love you all a bunch - stay cool. Stay cool.

Sister Annika Rogers

Isaiah 49:16

 (l-r) Sister Doolittle, Elysa, Me, and Laticia (Elysa and Lil Kelly's mom)

 Elysa's little brother, Lil Kelly

This is one of our member's daughters, Eve

She eats ice cream and chicken enchiladas with her bare hands...at the same time :)

Hollaback for a scripture chase! And bobcats :)‏

Haha you guys have to be patient! Transfers are THIS Wednesday - we find out for sure tonight who will go where :) Don't worry, haha I'll let you know as soon as I can.

So this week has been great! We have been pretty busy with EVERYTHING, it seems. Gotta tell my first exciting story - I played with a bobcat on Friday! I know, right! If there's one thing I've learned about the mission, people, it's that it surprises me every day. I'm so grateful for the decision I made to come out here...I could never have played with a bobcat while sitting on my laptop at home! The Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead has a couple of bobcats and we went for our last day of service (WOO), which turned out to be a day of raking leaves. We were raking around the birds of prey area (don't ask me how a bobcat is considered a bird of prey), and the bobcat jumped right up against the wire cage and let us start petting it. Then we started putting a feather through the bars and that cat was all over that thing! It was a blast :)

In other news, we had our Stake Conference AND our specialty training...no Facebook yet. BUT we had some awesome training on the importance of Preach My Gospel. I love President Keyes because he doesn't waste his time diving into deep doctrine with us, he just keeps going back to the basics. That might seem kind of demeaning, but honestly deep doctrine is completely useless in missionary work. All you need is a testimony of the Restoration of the gospel to be a missionary - Elder Ballard said that himself.

Which reminds me of something I kind of wanted to talk to y'all about. Bust out yo' Book of Mormon, because you're going on a little scripture chase with me. Open to 1 Nephi 17. I've learned something interesting as I've spent more time with Nephi...he really, really likes Moses. They have a lot in common, after all. They were set apart by God to help lead some people out of wickedness, and the people they were leading were a little crew of ingrates that had no problem in voicing their concerns. They even had to cross water by the power of God. Therefore, Nephi = B of M Moses. So, with that in mind, Nephi draws an interesting parallel in this chapter - 1 Nephi 17:41, Nephi refers to "the simpleness of the way." Think about that for just a moment as we visit the children of Israel. "Oh, I see you've been bit by a fiery flying serpent. That stinks. Here, look at this brass serpent on my staff and be healed." - Moses. What happened? Tons of the children of Israel died because that was just too easy (Numbers 21:4-9). Let's jump forward a couple hundred years to Naaman, the leper. "Gee, that's nice of you to come all this way with a fancy caravan to visit Elisha. He told me to tell you to go wash yourself in the Jordan River seven times, and you'll be healed. Have a nice day!" - Elisha's messenger. And Naaman throws a royal fit because it's too easy.

Jump forward a couple hundred more years. An Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ stands before all of His church and invites all who are listening to invite one person that they love to come and feel of the Spirit that the Restored gospel has to offer, before the anniversary of Christ's birth.

How will this story end?

 "...if the prophet had bid thee do some ^agreat thing, wouldest thou not have done it?" (2 Kings 5:13)

 "O...do not let us be ^aslothful because of the ^beasiness of the ^cway; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would ^dlook they might ^elive; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever." (Alma 37:46)

Consider again the story of Naaman. The scripture I quoted above was what his servants said after the royal fit was over. I can only imagine the amount of love and humility that they had in their hearts as they approached their master...imagine that I am coming to you in the same attitude. But this time, I leave you with a promise. If you will do this "simple" thing, if you will just ask a neighbor to come to the ward Christmas party or invite a friend to family home evening or offer some cookies and a Book of Mormon to someone who is struggling, I promise that your testimony will grow until you, like Naaman, can declare that, "Behold, now I ^aknow that there is no ^bGod in all the earth, but in Israel." (2 Kings 5:15)

I love you all enough to know that you are more than capable of helping in this Work of Salvation - God has not just called full time missionaries. He has called you. Please, don't be intimidated by the simpleness of the way.

I love you all so much - stay out of trouble :)

-- 

Sister Annika Rogers

Isaiah 49:16

 Finally got my b-day packages! Thank you so much to everyone who contributed!

 My favorite things in the whole world...HOT AIR BALLOONS.

 Me and Sister Jarman, growing a foot or two.

A spider we found in a member's windowsill (it was already dead, thank goodness)

Lost Books and a Birthday!‏

Guess what, errybody!

I'm old!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes and the packages that are pending...since the mail is slow here and everything gets forwarded through the mission office, I haven't actually got them yet. BUT I have it on good sources that they are coming :)

So remember how I wanted a baptism on my birthday? Well, that didn't happen. Remember how Sister Ewell and I set a goal of giving out 21 copies of the Book of Mormon by my birthday? Well, that didn't happen either. BUT...we ended up with four investigators having a baptismal date, teaching 20 lessons again, and had a downright blast. Sometimes we set goals, and we tell Heavenly Father, and he recognizes our efforts...and then he blesses us in the way we didn't want to be blessed :) This was probably the most unorthodox birthday I've ever had, but I enjoyed it immensely :)

So, let me tell you about some awesome studies I had this morning. Yes, this morning! So I've been reading the Book of Mormon for something like a month now, and I'm moving at a snail's pace because I'm marking everything up and reading between the lines...so I'm on 1 Nephi 19, and I read verse 10 today, and got really confused. "Sister Rogers," I says to myself, "Who in the world is Zenock?? Who is Neum? Where is the book of Zenos?" So I check out the footnote for 10b, and it reads, "BD Lost Books" (btw this is referenced in 1 Nephi 13:23, I just didn't really get it the way I got it this morning).

Whut.

Anything lost is instantly 100 billion times more intriguing than anything else in my attention-deficit brain, so I flipped over to the Bible Dictionary and read about the Lost Books of the Bible (http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bd/lost-books?lang=eng&letter=l), and  if you go to that reference you'll see a list in the very first paragraph. So I start to read that list...and it goes on and on and on. Needless to say I was floored! What in the Whorld! More than 20 books that are missing from the Bible, and in them countless prophecies of Christ and miracles of the priesthood and who knows what else! So then my companion and I were talking about the books that Mormon hides in the hill Cumorah (Mormon 6:6) and how few of the records we have and I just kinda freaked out because I have a lot of reading to do when I get to heaven!

I am constantly overwhelmed by how exciting it is to be part of a gospel that will keep teaching me forever! How boring would it be to have a cap on how much intelligence we could gain?!

I have kind of painted this image in my head of this huge museum that Heavenly Father has up in spirit paradise, full of things like the Liahona and the original Gold Plates and the sword of Laban and the Ark of the Covenant and Moses' staff...maybe that's what our first day in Paradise is like - a personal tour :)

So there's some food for thought :)

Thanks so much for all the letters :) all y'all know my love language is words of affirmation haha my joy is full every time I get a letter :)

KEEP BEING GREAT, ERRYBODY! LOVE YOU
-- 
Sister Annika Rogers

Isaiah 49:16

LEAVES!

These are across the street from our house.

I love them.

piece of the Berlin Wall.
Historically Significant Piece of Gravel

 me in a cemetery.

This is me with some of the members in Iola - Gramma and Grampa Stoll (they requested us at dinner because I met them before and I love them - sweetest people ever!)

Pumpkins!

Lucky Numba 4

Okay, let me essplain something to choo.

Here in the Missouri Independence Mission, we have this thing called "The Standard of Excellence." The Standard of Excellence pertains to the Key Indicators for conversion, which are simply the things that each investigator needs to progress in this Gospel. There's an entire section on it in Preach My Gospel - look it up :) So our Standard of Excellence only pertains to six of the Key Indicators, and they are as follows; 1 investigator baptized per month, 2 investigators with a baptismal date per week, 3 investigators at sacrament meeting per week, 5 lessons taught to an investigator with a member present per week, 2 new investigators per week, and 2 reactivated members per month.

Ladies and gentlemen, with the help of the Lord, Sister Ewell and I reached all of the standards except new investigators.

And overall, we exceeded most of them! This week, we taught 26 lessons. 76 lessons so far this transfer - we have a goal of 100.

The most impressive Key Indicator, the real miracle, was that we had FOUR investigators attend church this week! That's right - FOUR. Kelsey, John, Renee, and Bailee (yes, she's back on our radar!) were all at church! As well as many of the less actives that we have worked with. And blessings in disguise -  our ward mission leader was home sick this Sunday, so we (the missionaries) taught the first lesson! Which was what we've been meaning to teach Renee for a long time!

I don't think I explained about Renee let me essplain something else to choo.

There is a gentleman in our ward named Roylee Perkins.. He's kind of like Grampa Ellis, but with a handlebar mustache. (forgot G. Ellis shaved it off...guess the word "mustache" could have sufficed) Brother - or as the Elders and myself have taken to calling him, Uncle - Perkins is one of my favorite people in the Olathe 2nd. I say one because really they're all my favorite, but he and I have very similar senses of humor. He feeds us about twice a month, and its always a party. When he does feed us, he typically brings his friend, Renee. They've kind of dated for a while, and I'll be honest - I really want them to get married. So that's how we found Renee - through Uncle Perkins.

Renee is the classiest lady I think I've ever taught. She works in Real Estate and is generally just a wonderful woman. We asked her to read the intro to the Book of Mormon last time we ate with her and what did she do? MIRACLE ALERT - she read that AND the first 5 chapters!

The next time we teach her, we're going to invite her to be baptized :)

Just wanted to give you a referral for some awesome reading - Our Search For Happiness. Easy read, great spiritual boost.

I'll be sending pictures ASAP. Thanks so much for all the letters, especially from the Girls' Trip - so good to hear from everyone.

Okay, I have homework for you folks...remember S. Gifford Nielsen? Used to play for the Y? Spoke in conference? No, he wasn't the one that had the fly land on his face...anyways, he gave an invitation at General Conference that I don't know if you've heard. Well, I would like to reiterate that. And I have some advantage to this - I know each of you personally, and I'm set apart as a minister for the Lord Jesus Christ, so this invitation has unique and individual gravity for each of you, so pay attention to it -

I want everyone who reads this email to invite one nonmember to a Gospel-centered activity, whether it's in or out of the home.

Mutual, Institute, Christmas programs in Sacrament, Halloween parties, Family Home Evening - the list goes on and on. Anyone can do it, and I know you all well enough to know that you will do it. If you are active, then great - consider this your chance to follow Lehi's example in sharing the Fruit with those you love. If you are a less-active member, then you better dust off your testimony, because nothing will strengthen it like missionary work.

I know without a shadow of a doubt that this is Jesus Christ's work. I have gone through far too much and am still going strong - there is no way that it could not be. If you want to know for yourself, I want you to examine this itinerary:
Missionary Daily Schedule*

6:30 a.m.
Arise, pray, exercise (30 minutes), and prepare for the day.
7:30 a.m.
Breakfast.
8:00 a.m.
Personal study: the Book of Mormon, other scriptures, doctrines of the missionary lessons, and other chapters from Preach My Gospel, the Missionary Handbook, and the Missionary Health Guide.
9:00 a.m.
Companion study: share what you have learned during personal study, prepare to teach, practice teaching, study chapters from Preach My Gospel, confirm plans for the day.
10:00 a.m.
Begin proselyting. Missionaries learning a language study that language for an additional 30 to 60 minutes, including planning language learning activities to use during the day.
Missionaries may take an hour for lunch and additional study, and an hour for dinner at times during the day that fit best with their proselyting. Normally dinner should be finished no later than 6:00 p.m.
9:00 p.m.
Return to living quarters (unless teaching a lesson; then return by 9:30) and plan the next day’s activities (30 minutes). Write in journal, prepare for bed, pray.
10:30 p.m.
Retire to bed.

This is the schedule that every missionary every day holds. Pretty demanding, huh? Let me tell you frankly that I can not keep this schedule, BUT because I am a servant to the God of Adam & Noah & Nephi & Ammon, I can do ALL things - even work a 16 hour day. He has assisted me in this, He will assist you in your missionary endeavors.

I bear you this witness in the name of my savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

P.S. S. Gifford Nielsen is this guy ----->http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/hastening-the-lords-game-plan?lang=eng&query=s.+gifford+nielson 

-- 
Sister Annika Rogers

Isaiah 49:16

I just wanted to brag - I sketched this out for my companion and she's cross stitching it. What a boss.

Hey, I've gotta compete with the cow skin. (Talking about what Braxton is eating in Africa)

I'm loving Halloween. We can't dress up, btw. Bummer, I know. (mostly because I was trying to talk my Zone Leaders into being a Nephite and a Lamanite...Sister Ewell and I were going to be Loki and Thor, respectively...even if she didn't want to).

Guess what.

Fall.

In Kansas.

SO MANY TREES.

SO MANY COLORS.

SO LITTLE MEMORY ON MY CAMERA.