March 28, 2016 Week 23 Riobamba/Solanda

HEY MOM,

Well this week was interesting. I guess I will start withTuesday, we taught our investigators like we always do and I was desperately waiting for changes which were yesterday. Well I don't remember too much because then on Wednesday night I started to have really bad pains in my upper stomach area. Well every time this happens it gets worse. So this time I was seriously about to die and it hurt from 2am to 7am and it wouldn't stop. Well I called the enfermeras and told them what was going on and they just said that I had parasites. Well I don't think I have those so I didn't even bother taking the test and we just continued working. I couldn't go to the Zone reunion on Thursday morning but I tried to work after that. Well now whenever this thing happens I can't really walk too much and it kinda sucks. 

Well then on Friday we kept on working and teaching everybody that we had. I don't remember too much from this week because I was really excited about my voice recorder and everything and also I was waiting for changes. Well then on Saturday we did this thing called the Mini CCM which is just a little activity....well it is a big thing. So we got a bunch of the young people and we basically taught them for an hour at the church of Los Alamos. We then left at about 12 to go and teach people. Well I left with 3 jovenes de la iglesia y nos fuimos a ensenar algunos conversos y investigadores. Bueno so I left with 3 guys and my companion left with a few guys and we went to show the young kids how to teach. It was a really good experience for me because I got to show the kids how to teach people and they also bore their testimonies alot and they really helped me out. 

I don't have any pictures cause....I forgot.....sorry mom....next week? 

Anyways so that was really fun and at the end of that we had our baptisms. Well we baptized Hermano Fernando and Hermana Mirian. They are the best people and they are super humble and always want to give us a bunch of stuff, but we tell them not to. That was a good Saturday. Then on Sunday morning my thing came back and I started puking cause it hurt so much. Well we called the enfermeras and they said that we needed to go to the hospital right now. We live about 5 hours away from said hospital. Well hermana Gomez offered to take me to the terminal to leave for Quito. We get in their car and they just drove us all the way to Quito.  I don't know the address of the family Gomez but I told Elder Pesantes to give them my email.  I hope someday I will see them again. The hermana enfermeras are ....they don't know how to do anything so I spent about 6 hours in the hospital and they stabbed me in like 5 different places trying to take blood. At the end of it all they said that I was fine but they were going to give me something for the pain in my upper area. They just left and I still don't know why I have really bad pains in my upper stomach area. The next time this thing starts to hurt I think I am going to die.  

Then on the way home we got changes and I am now in Quito Solanda. Well my companion stayed over there and I left. There have been missionaries here but not for a long time. I don't know how long ago but we are here now so that is cool..I was really excited to leave to explore. I can't explain Quito it is freaking massive. But I am in the south part...if that helps. It's called Solanda. it's cool. It is raining a crap load here. We are opening the sector which means we don't know anybody and we don't know where we are...it's going to be a great experience. I am with Elder Bradshaw...I don't know if you remember him but we are here together. He is sick a lot because he is dying and has parasites. He is from California and he is awesome. I knew him from when I was in Riobamba.  

I'm fine now but the doctors don't know anything. Well I am in bad shape I guess. But I am ready to get back to work because I feel a little better. 

I am super happy and the owner of our new house has a washing machine and he says we can use it whenever. I really think I am going to love this place. I just can't wait to wash my clothes in a washing machine.  So this week was really interesting. 

I haven't had dreams in like 4 months. I haven't gotten anymore packages yet. I am still waiting. I can't tell sometimes

if I speak in Spanish or English. Especially late at night and really early in the morning. It all just kind of blends 

together.

I love all you guys mom, thanks, how is grandma Withers and Grandma Pepsi? And grandma and Grandpa? Why 

didn't I get pictures of munchies this week?

I really appreciate you guys helping me all the way from the United States. I love you guys mom

well I have to go now, love you I will write you guys next week. 

Love Elder Rogers,

Ps, I think I have gastritis but I dont know what that is. 

Love Elder Rogers

March 21, 2016 Week 22 Riobamba

That sounds super exciting I mean everybody is puking and it sounds like a blast. I am not sick and I feel great. I have been feeling a lot better about gramps. Well this week was good and I bought a voice recorder, I am trying to make it work so I can send voice recordings instead of needing to type all the time. I hate that hahaha. Well I will recount what happened, 

I am doing alright but its a little difficult being this far away mom, I don't like it too much. 

So Monday was a little tough and the same with Tuesday but then once Wednesday hit I was fine. Well the zone leaders helped me out a lot with stuff. So then Wednesday was just a normal day and we taught our investigators like always. So that all happened.  Then on Thursday we had our meetings as a zone and district. That is always fun. The next day we had a conference with President Christensen. That was really fun and we had a lot of questions so he answered all of the questions and it lasted about 7 hours and I almost died because I hate long reunions. I wish my stupid voice recorder was working but It's not and I had a lot of recordings on there for you guys. Well then on Saturday we had the baptism of Fernando and Andy. That was really fun. 

The baptism went really well and the older guy wearing white is Fernando and the little kid is Andy. They are awesome. The rest of the people are the family of Andy. Fernandos family doesn't help him at all so we are watching over him. 

Then yesterday we confirmed the people that we baptized and what not. Sorry this isnt too detailed I was planning on using my voice recorder but...

I think I will be leaving next monday, so maybe I will go to Quito next.  Love you guys mom, I think I gotta go but I will write more next week and hopefully my voice recorder will want to cooperate. Tell everybody I said hi and Love you guys mom

Love Elder Rogers

March 14, 2016 Week 21 Riobamba

Well I am glad everyone is ok mom, I will try and remember what we did this week but maybe you could take some pictures or some videos of what everybody says so I can read it or watch the video too. I don't know, but I am sorry that I can't be home for the funeral, but I am here working hard mom. So this week was really good and we had a lot of suff happen. I don't know how much I want to type today but here it goes. So we had a little bit of a ruff time this week with being able to visit. My companion is a little sick and I got a little sick but only a little.
So we have been teaching the familia Malka, the people who went to church last week. Those guys are awesome and really want to learn more. They are a little slower so we have to read slow and teach with a lot of examples. They live a little far away and recently we have been walking to their house. They are great though and always want to give us stuff but we have to tell them that what we teach is free and they don't need to pay us anything. They are awesome and are ready to change. 
We are also still helping the older man Hermano Fernando with how to read and stuff. He is doing good but we don't have any thrift stores or anything around here so I just gave him a jacket so he wont be cold anymore. He says that his knees hurt from he cold so. We are going to bapize him and Andy this Saturday. I am going to baptize Andy and my companion Fernando.  How is Kamas mom? I miss Kamas. What else are you guys doing? Are you sure everyone is ok? When is the funeral? 
Also we had a zone activity which was cool. We went to the same park as before. It is a really nice park. I can't really remember much else. The whole Gramps dying thing is a little hard to take here in Ecuador. Tell everyone I love them, especially Grandma Pepsi.

I miss stories about the mountains and everything. I miss grannys food mom, 

Love Elder Rogers

March 7, 2016 Week 20 Riobamba

Hey mom,

I read both your emails don't worry but I am only going to respond to this one. Well this week was a good one and we did a lot of stuff. So everyday we have appointments fall through but we have just started to contact a lot more people. We figured that we need more people...so we started to contact a lot more. I have gotten pretty good at it actually. So we found some good people, but the majority of the people don't like to listen to us. 

Well on Monday we had pday and then had appointments in the night time. Then Tuesday we had some more appointments and they are awesome because we are beginning to teach really good. Also I can really feel good when teaching now. We are hungry sometimes but then we are always given food when we go to someones house. It is really nice. We were doing good but we wanted to do better so on Saturday night we prayed to find a new family that we could teach. So we got up and felt like we needed to go to the church a little bit earlier. So we went to pick up Fernando who is the guy we are teaching how to read and write. So we took him in a taxi and got to the church. There was a bunch of Senisas on the ground. The senisas are from the Volcano, yeah it is still erupting. So the volcano thing is still a little scary but that's fine. So there was a family waiting outside the church and they asked us what time the church started. Well I was just like it starts at 9 so we still had like 40 minutes until it started. They told us that they would be back so I was like oh yeah alright whatever. Cause people are always like I will be back in 30 minutes or so but they never show up. So I didn't have a lot of confidence in them. I guess that was a problem hahaha. But they actually came to church and loved it. Then later that night we went and taught them, and we are going to teach them tonight. Also they loved everything we said and they really want to change their lives. The only problem that they have is that they told us they want to remember and understand everything that we teach. So we just assured them that we are going to teach them and they will understand. Well it was a really good experience and I enjoyed it.

I wouldn't mind going to a sports banquet right now. I miss real food, all I eat is bread...rice...chicken...I am scared of this food.  There is not too much old architecture here. Only in a few places. Like Guano. Which is not my sector. I could stay here for longer but we don't know really. Also I am really tired. We never get to rest. But you know me mom. I always complain about stuff. It is fun and everything but just super hard.Really it's the hardest thing I have ever done. And it's not going to get easier.

Is the white car still running? Is the green truch fixed? I wouldnt be surprised if you said no...

Lately I have been a little sad and I don't know why.  Maybe I am dying. Or my emotions are exploding.  This is hard. Also mom if you guys can send me some more photos and a phot album in my net package that would be awesome. I am thinking a photo album of a bunch of stuff.  Maybe my hunting trips, fishing trips, everything I don't know.  But I haven't gotten another package but I am still waiting.  I love you guys and I can buy oreos here so tell Marcus not to worry.

Love Elder Rogers

The familia Gomez

They are the closest people I can find who are like granny and Gramps. It is hard sometimes because I miss everyone still. Somebody told me I wouldnt miss my family after the first few weeks. Liars...

Oh crap...I dont have anymore pictures....sorry