Monday, December 30, 2013

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

Monday, December 23, 2013

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.





Monday, December 16, 2013

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




Monday, December 9, 2013

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!

Monday, December 2, 2013

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