Six weeks later . . .

Transfer calls came! Sister Ewell and I are staying in Olathe for another transfer!

So, we've had a lot of miracles this past week, mostly involving less-active members (as per the norm).

The Phillips are doing great! We set a new date for them to attend the temple and they're going to go on December 7th!!! We taught them the last of the commandments, so the elders will have one more lesson to teach and then it's on to temple prep! We're so stoked! A few days ago, Sister Phillips texted us and said that she had been bored, so she piced up the Book of Mormon and started reading. The testimony of the three witnesses put her in tears and gave her goosebumps :) She's read about five chapters a day since that. It's been so great to see the change that's come over them. When we first set a day for the temple, they were kind of like, "Oh, yeah...that would be nice if you could come." And then when we were discussing a date for them this time around, Sister Phillips was adamant that we come. It was so cool. I love them so much!

We also went to the Visitor's Center with Cassie (I may have called her Sister Bernal previously, but she's definitely my age so she's going to stay Cassie) yesterday, and it was SO great. We took her through God's Plan for His Family and in the last room she mentioned a couple things about when her daughter had been born, and then I felt prompted to say something concerning the situation with her and her daughter and her husband and she broke down in tears. We spent the next hour in a teaching room, talking to her and helping her see the need for a priesthood blessing. I was determined. I kept thinking, "We are NOT leaving this building until she's had a blessing." And I got what I wanted haha I am one spoiled child of God :) When we got her back home she told us that she felt much better, and I second that.

On Saturday we had a surprise appointment with another less active, Shelby. We had talked with her before at a dinner that we wanted to help her get reactivated and help her quit smoking, and she was kind of standoffish. BUT her boyfriend's been taking the lessons from the elders, and he agreed to be baptized! So when we saw her Saturday I was all pumped because of what the elders did. She was telling us about her tattoos and why they're not so bad - just generally justifying her sins to us. I was so irritated, I just said a little prayer in my heart and then I said, "Well, Shelby, I don't want to offend you, but you told us you want to get more involved in the Church again...but you're justifying all your favorite sins. I understand that the tattoos are important and the cigarettes and the alcohol are going to be difficult to give up, but you know what's right, and you know what you need to do. So I guess what I'm saying is, I know that you can do this, and Sister Ewell knows you can do this...so what can we do to help you?" I was afraid she was just going to tell us to leave, but instead we set up to teach her the lessons again. We're meeting with her tonight and she's going to give us her cigarettes :) The Lord is in this work, mah friends!

Well, I've got to go...but just know that I love you all :) Thanks a billion times for all the written support and the love from home! Love you guys :)

-- 

Sister Annika Rogers

Isaiah 49:16

           Me holding a great dane puppy! His name is Gator and one of our members bought him.

This is a cicada (sick-aid-uh) shell. the shed them all over the place. NASTY but so cool.

This is our Zone Leader, Elder Lunt. We're SO lucky to have the ZL's in our ward...one of our investigators gave him that turtle as a gift.

Our other ZL, Elder Boyer. He went home to the land of eternal P-days on thursday. Sorry it's a bad picture, we were having a party.

This is my stuffed animal from Addison, our investigator :) He sleeps on my bed...doesn't he look creepily real??

                                                                                 Yup.

MAH FACE :D it's almost normal!