Once upon a time, my companion got a concussion.‏

Don't worry, everyone...she's alive. But she's not allowed to play soccer with the elders as long as she's my companion.

Wingapo, errybody ;)

So this week has been fun and busy and there's really not a whole lot to tell you about. Don't worry, though, I'll still try to provide some entertainment and upliftment.

Well, we dropped two investigators and then had another one drop us, and then one try to drop us...i think. We texted her on Sunday because we hadn't seen her at church and she said she feels like she's been neglecting her church and her family and she's not ready to give up on them yet.

Right.

So...it feels like we got dropped, but when we asked her if she's still like to meet this week, she said maybe next week, because she's busy and she needs time anyways. We're really not sure what to do with her haha but I feel like something out of our control happened. Either way, everyone's got their agency. In my opinion, she just doesn't quite recognize the need for the gospel. I mean, she's got a job and a car...just graduated high school, going to start college...has a nice boyfriend and a good family...not really in a position to open up to Christ, which is a shame. Good thing he'll still be standing at the door, knockin' until she figures out where the handle is.

I've discovered with people that drop us, that I don't get so torn up about it. There are a couple that I do, because the reason they have to drop it is just because the adversary works REALLY hard on them (like McKayla and Paul), but for the most part I understand that Heavenly Father doesn't trust me enough to let me screw up somebody else's salvation.

It's quite comforting, actually.

So this week has really just been a matter of housekeeping haha cleaning our area book and organizing our white board and figuring out where to spend our time, which will be a little easier to do because THE VC GOT ANOTHER CAR WHICH MEANS HALF THE WALKING THAT WE USUALLY DO!!!

It was a happy day in the Independence Stake haha for all of us who have been hoofing/biking it.

Alright, so I've got to tell you the story of my compcussion #punthatijustmadeup #notreallyfunny #butwhatevs So, every Monday morning, all the missionaries in the immediate area come together to play sports for exercise. Since it's gotten warm out, they play soccer. Every. Single. Week. I'm not a huge fan of soccer, or sitting on chigger-infested grass, so I just stay home and do the regular (it's called sleep-stretching; stretching in a group while half-asleep. mostly it just turns into a sprawlfest, but nobody cares haha).

So she comes home from playing soccer and tells me that she got nailed in the jaw by one of the elders' shoulders. She even kind of bit into her lip and had a bad headache. I kind of laughed at her and then didn't think anything of it, but about two hours later we were going to study, and she couldn't focus because she was so tired. So I checked her pupils (don't worry, Mom, you taught me well), and they were normal, so I told her to lay down and take a nap. That's when the big dropping of the investigators happened haha housekeeping...

Well, a few hours later we're getting ready for an appointment and she's just acting really goofy, which I just thought was great because usually it's just me. But then I notice that she keeps changing conversation topics without any real warning and her sentence structure was kind of sporadic. She couldn't remember anything she'd studied and, kind of without warning, burst into tears.

I called the mission nurse and she told Sister Lettig to take it easy the rest of the night and I was to check on her and call if anything changed.

I secretly love taking care of my companions haha especially when they hate it. But honestly, there's no point in having her out of commission for a week because she wouldn't take it easy for a day. Good thing she listens to me. Kind of.

So that wasn't really that funny haha but I'm tired and happy so you've just got to deal with it :D I'll tell you a real funny story now (two in one email! What! #storytimeequinox)

So we were out tracting in a cute little apartment complex, and we knocked on one door and talked to the lady...found a new investigator...and asked her if there was anyone in the area that she thought would benefit from our message. She pointed next door and said they were nice and would be interested, so we go over and knock. Everyone in Inde has a storm door, so that's what we knocked on because the real door was open so we could see into his apartment. So we watch him come down the stairs and he sees us with our name tags and starts to grimace and wince, like it causes him pain to see us on his porch. He starts wagging his finger at us, and still wincing and grimacing, shuts the real door in our faces.

You really try hard not to laugh when you walk away from someone's house, because that can seem very rude and is definitely NOT what Jesus would do...but we couldn't help it. Tears. Tears of joy. Again, God doesn't trust me enough to let me ruin someone else's salvation. Someday both his doors will be open haha

AND CAN WE JUST TALK ABOUT THAT MISSIONARY BROADCAST THING FOR A SECOND!!!

They're going to integrate internet proselyting! We're doing regular church tours! And we get to be a part of it! What a great day to be a missionary - and a member of this church! We're all in the work of salvation together :) And on that note, I have homework for you.

I challenge you all to call the missionaries in you area and tell them you can go with them on team-ups. They need you. We need you. Who knows, maybe if y'all step it up in Utah, your missionary in Missouri will be blessed. Just sayin'. :) Okay?? Ask the missionaries how they need help! You guys are the kind of team-up that I would like to have. Lessons work so much better with a member present - the investigators will be happy to see you, and much more willing to talk to the missionaries. Conversion is easier when they have an example to follow. I dare you to make the change that we just heard our Prophet and apostles asked of us on Sunday :)

This challenge applies to everyone that this email reaches. Missionary work isn't just about missionaries anymore. It's about you.

Every member a missionary :)

I just want to promise you that you will be blessed for this. It may not seem like you have time, but if you will make the time, you will feel the spirit more, you will make friends, you will see miracles, you will bless the missionaries. Those of you preparing to go on missions - this is the best practice you can have. Those of you that have been on missions - guess what, it didn't end when you were released. The best way you can show your gratitude for what you've been given is by giving it to others.

This is God's work, and he's asked us to help. He doesn't need us, but we need Him :) So let him use you!

I love you all and want to hear how this goes :) No options haha you have to do it! I can't wait to hear about it!

I love you all! Gotta go eat lunch...UNTIL NEXT WEEK!

Missouri...missionary...missourinary...

Love your favorite Missourinary :)

--

Sister Annika Rogers

Isaiah 49:16

Since my companion is a Sister Leader, I get to go on 4 exchanges per transfer! Yay. *sarcasm* Anyways, this one actually was a bunch of fun - this is Sister Mikaeli Zito, the girl I found on facebook before the Mish. I got to be her companion for a day! How cool is that?!

For Fathers' Day, the Samoans in our ward made these for all the leadership in our ward - including the senior elder that attends church with us! It's made out of gummy worms. Is that freaking cool, or what?!

                                         Spidersquirrel‏

This is a cute little family I took through the VC! All their kids are adopted - they're from American Fork. The little girl in the stroller's name is Lizzie, and she was just adopted three years ago from Ghana! totally bridged the gap between my mission and Braxton's! Cool, huh! The kid making the face is Brigham (middle child syndrome?) the other boy is Carstyn, and the blonde girl's name is Reese. They were SO adorable, and I gave them a Book of Mormon and challenged them to give it to someone as a family so that someone else could be as happy as them :)

             I CAUGHT A LIGHTNING BUG THEY HAVE THEM HERE AND THEY ARE MAGICAL

FIREFLIES!!! (this email is full of LDS puns #beprepared)‏

 THEY'RE REAL! WE SAW SOME LAST NIGHT AND I FELT LIKE I WAS IN PRINCESS AND THE FROG!!! MAGIC!

Also, it's so humid here that the car looks like it was just rained on...even though it's eighty degrees outside and blue sky as far as the eye can see. #whatisthisbiz

Well hey there, errybody! Here I am in Inde, just livin' the life! We've had a couple miracles this week, and I wanted to tell you all about 'em, so hold on to your socks, because they might just get blown off!

First of all, there was a girl in my Institute class that I ran into in the MTC! Her name is Kelsey and I love her to bits :) She was going to Brazil, so we would brush shoulders occasionally, but never really talked. Well, her Visa isn't coming straight through, so she had to have her call adjusted until it does, and she's serving in my mission! And then she got shifted over to the VC!!! What a miracle! apparently we're meant to serve around each other haha more on that miracle later...when there are actually fruits of our labors.

WE HAD ANOTHER BAPTISM! Lacey, the thirteen-year old, took the dunk! She's actually at Girl's Camp right now - how awesome is that?! There was a little drama right before we got to the baptism, so we weren't entirely sure she would be there...but she came anyways and it was awesome! She even bore her testimony! Afterwards she said she was trying to make people cry - us in particular, but it didn't work! I don't know what's wrong with me haha my tear ducts are cemented shut, apparently.

Our other miracle is that now our teaching pool is tiny cuz we keep baptizing our investigators (oops), so we're trying really hard to find people and get referrals, but it's hard when we're on foot, because we can't cover very much ground, and we need to be on time back to the VC, which makes the bus pretty much impossible to do because it only runs every hour and a half (I wish I would've thought to bring the UTA with me...). 

So we get a referral from the VC for a lady that came in and requested missionaries! Sometimes those people are crazies, but we called her and made an appointment and went to see her on Saturday, and she's golden! Her name is Melissa, and she has a son, Theo, who's nine. We gave them each a Book of Mormon and asked them to read the first chapter, and Theo was done with it even before we left haha we meet with them again on Saturday. They're just the sweetest people ever, and their house is so nice and clean and you can feel that the Spirit is there :)

Okey dokey...funny story. Gather near, children of Israel...once upon a time, we were teaching yonder investigator about modern prophets (typically you don't teach something like that in the first lesson, but we were following the spirit, so happy day, all is well), and Sister Lettig tried to say, "The Prophet presides over the Church and acts as God's mouthpiece, to direct His children today."

But instead, what she said was;

"The Prophet presides over the Church and acts as the Lord's mousepieth...mouse...pieth...mouse-MOUTH. Piece...mousepiece, to direct His children today."

I did a pretty good job of hiding my laughter behind my Bible.

Well, I know it's late but here's my favorite Mormon Message about fathers! Watch this and then wipe your tears and carry on, carry on, CARRY ON!!!

http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages#earthly-father-heavenly-father

Thanks for all the letters, too! From Nat and Grammas Rogers and Ellis and all those other peeps! Sometimes it seems like I forget about you, but when I get a letter on Wednesday and have all this craziness happen and can't write back until Tuesday...I forget. Also, I run out of time. There's a lot of people I love and not enough rainforests to provide the paper to do so.

Yup. Just made an anti-green joke. #dealwithit

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT!!!

DON'T FORGET TO PRAY!

AND READ YOUR SCRPITURES!

AND EAT YOUR VEGGIES!

AND WASH BEHING YOUR EARS!

LOVEYOUBYYYYEEEE!!!

-- 

Sister Annika Rogers

Isaiah 49:16

Lacey's Baptism! These are the elders in our ward - Elders Mason and Hayes. Mason is the one in white and he's a freaking riot.

                                           Jammies :)

                                 We was playing in the rains :)

Is this not the happiest dog you've ever seen?? Her name is Cheech Fuzz, and she's too old to walk, but she makes that face every time you pet her.

only in Inde

I made a list of stuff for to tell you!!‏

And I left it on my bed.

Hey peeps :) Hope all is well in Utah because I haven't heard from any of you for the past week or so...

Meanwhile the tornado's are still ripping up the Midwest and the mission division is coming soon!

We at the Visitors' Center have been privileged to be asked to sing at the conference right before the mission split. We'll be singing a really pretty arrangement of God Be With You Till We Meet Again and also the Kansas Wichita Mission song! One of the elders serving here in Independence, Elder Top, has a great gift for music. He wrote an Independence Mission song and President Keyes asked him to write another :) It's going to be really emotional, especially God Be With You. Sister Lettig and Sister Sant (the other Sister Leader), were asked to help place some of the sisters. So Slettig (New nickname - courtesy of a guy she's writing) knows what's going on haha don't worry, she hasn't told me anything. But we should find out relatively soon where we're going to be. I'll go wherever the Lord needs me, of course :) I learned my lesson from Nephi.

So this week we went to the temple with Rashida! She did baptisms for the dead and we snuck in a session right before! It was so great and spiritual - she was so excited to be there. It's so awesome to see this come full circle. We've been blessed, to say the least. And the KC temple is just like Brigham City - pocket-sized! But it's so beautiful. One day when I'm incredible wealthy, I'll bring you all back here and show you. My favorite part of every temple I've been in is still the chandelier in the celestial room :)

Also, this Saturday is supposed to be when Stobbe comes back! I'll let you know next week how that goes but needless to say I'm FREAKING STOKED.

Okay, funny story time. And this week, it's a real one :)

So if you don't know me very well, allow me to tell you a fun fact about Sister Rogers - I have a hair phobia. Got it from my Momma. Loose hairs on me, on the floor, in my comb = NO BUENO. The vacuum at the Willis House is the worst, because it refuses to suck. Hairs get all trapped up in the bristles and then a brave sister has to pull it out periodically. TOTES NASTY.

So last night we come home, flip on the light in our front room, and what's waiting to greet us but a BIG NASTY HAIRBALL WITH A FACE. Some of the sisters KEPT THE HAIR and glued a face to it and had it LYING IN WAIT to give us a freaking HEART ATTACK when we came home. They even named it. NAMED IT.

Blegh.

It's still on the floor in our front room. His name is Cleofus. I'll send a picture of him. I can't eat downstairs anymore.

Anyways, just lovin' life and dealing with the summer rush of the VC! We've had a lot of bus tours come in (anywhere between forty and eighty people at a time), and they're definitely my favorite thing ever. I can't wait to bring you back and introduce you to all these wonderful people that God has blessed me to associate with :)

AND CONGRATS TO THE GRADUATES!!! Jessica and Chey and Steph and Tasha and Braxton and Korbin and Kennli! I know the last two are just moving up a grade but hey that's a big step! 

Korbin - Logan Chatman's (I think that's his last name) dad came into the Visitors' Center! It was so cool to talk to him haha enjoy this summer before high school, cuz this is just the beginning of where the real fun is at :) And Kennli - you gotta write me some letters! I don't know what's happening with your life and you're gonna be in Junior High! We gotta stay in touch before you get too cool for me :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TANNER!! Way to go, Stitch :) You made it to 16! You be careful dating - only date girls that help you be better, and you treat them nice. Never keep them out past curfew or Dad might kill you. You're such a stud and I know you're just going to have so much fun :) Never hesitate to represent your Heavenly Father or exercise that priesthood power you hold. I've missed having that in my house :( maybe one of my brothers can just come and hide in our basement so if we need you we can just call you haha

Also, Braxt - my friend in Africa had some advice for you on your mission:

"well don't eat monkeys that's one of the places aids came from, when you see the dude with the ak47 sometimes they aren't having a good day, sometimes in a foreign country to blow off language woes it's good to create an alter ego and play around, be careful what you eat, and don't get hit by a motor cycle it stings a bit."

So there you have it haha don't worry, it's not as scary as he makes it sound. But I would probably steer clear of the monkeys, just in case.

Hope you're all well! I pray for you every night :) LOVE YOU ALL!!!

PS I just studied this talk this morning while I was trying to ignore Cleofus. Thought you would like it :)

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2081541444001

-- 

Sister Annika Rogers

Isaiah 49:16

Assistant to Leuitenant Lettig here...whiskey whiskey juliet delta.‏

HAPPY TUESDAY TO ALL MY PEEPS! Utah! Junction City! Minnessota! Virginia! Wherever else this thing ends up! You all look lovely :)

So this week was a week of fun and MIRACLES! We had a baptism on Saturday - Levi's! Levi was the very first person I taught in the real world of the mission. His service was awesome...the Spirit was so strong and everyone but me cried haha I don't get emotional when I feel the Spirit anymore (blessing of serving).

It was super weird to move his name from the "Investigators" column on our white board to the "RCLA" (recent converts/less-actives) column. He's been there for over a year haha bit it was a good weird.

We've been meeting with Rashida regularly and teaching her the new member lessons, one of which is about the temple. Guess who's going to the Kansas City temple with a great new convert and her mom and an awesome senior couple...! This girl and her companion! We're already planning to go visit Rashida down at BYU Hawaii when we're not missionaries anymore and we can actually hold Zaira (she pretty much had to twist our arms, but we eventually gave in).

Okay, miracle story. Once upon a time we went back over to a member-slash-investigator's house (they both live there haha) to teach the lesson of the Restoration and finish sanding some antique stairs, and Sister Lettig put her on date! She totally awkwarded the invitation question, but I guess that just goes to show that you really expect to see miracles if you don't have the Spirit, cuz Lacey said yes! And then we went back to work and I finished sanding the one stair all the way down to the bare wood! All kinds of miracles can happen when you've got the Spirit on your side :) One down, fifteen to go.

Another miracle! When I was still an infant missionary, there was an elderly couple that came through with their grandkids that were being taught by the assistants to the president. About a month ago they came through the VC again with some friends of theirs. I had the chance to take them through again and they were just all wonderful people and we had a great experience. I saw them again on Sunday evening and was talking to them with Elder Brenchley, the site director, and they told me they're getting baptized on July 6th! I got really excited and asked if I could come, and then realized I should ask Elder Brenchley first, so asked him instead (haha rapid fire questioning - I'm still the same person). Brother Schnell said to Elder Brenchley "We would love it if she could come, because there were some things that she said and did that were instrumental in our conversion." Except it wasn't really me - it was the Spirit. BUT i'm still so excited to go to the baptism!!!

The only sad thing I have to tell is that we had to drop Paul...it was too taxing on him emotionally and mentally to meet with us, so we're just going to call him spontaneously and wait for the time to be right. Sad stuff. 

Also, transfers took a lot of great sisters. BUT all these newbies are pretty swell, too. Sister Zito's new trainee is Sister Moody, and she's pretty much awesome. Baby Moody haha makes me Aunty Rogers. Fun times.

Gather around, Children of God, because it be time for some mad funny story telling. Once upon a time, in the land of Independence, I had a companion that was perpetually hungry. Dear Sister Lettig is constantly either eating or hungry, which makes every day an adventure. Whenever she gets hungry, you never know what she's going to do. Fast Sunday rolls around and she becomes a whole new person - super quirky and weird and just generally unpredictable. Every now and then she just looks at me and says, "I'm so hungry I could eat your face." I think she's joking...

Okay, so that story was much more lame than you thought it was going to be. I'm going to start keeping notes this week so I'll actually have stories to tell when I write my next email.

Stole the subject for this email from Stobbe...what can I say? I'm my mother's daughter (literally and in the mission genetics).

LOVE YOU ALL BE SURE TO GIVE EACH OTHER HUGS CUZ I CAN'T DO IT YET. Thanks for all your prayers!

LOVE YOU!!!

PS It just started raining like the kissing part in a Nicholas Sparks movie.

-- 

Sister Annika Rogers

Isaiah 49:16