March 6, 2017 Week 71 Santo Domingo

 It's a sad day today, I lost my flash drive.... I left it in the cyber, they say that haven't seen one..  Whatever I guess.  I lost a bunch of pictures and my music and stuff.  We had to stay in the house two days this week, because of carnival, but nothing is really happening.  In Riobamba it was like war outside, water balloons everywhere, crazy stuff.. Anyway not so much here.  We did a service here on a farm again, just moving some wood piles and stuff.  I started a fire, a sanctioned fire mind you.  They killed a pig and cooked it up.  It didn't really taste like pig, it tasted more like chicken.  Milked a few cows, we didn't, but they did. Also a little birthday celebration.
We helped another guy chop some coconuts this week too.  Not the kinds you think, these are green.  I don't really love coconut water, but I did drink a lot of it that day.

It is raining super hard again this week.  The slug farm is doing well, they don't do much.  Sadly we have not met any new investigators lately, we have met some new people.   Here's a pic of my new comp too.

We are doing pretty good.  We did teach a few lessons to some of the people Elder Brown and I had found.  He breeds chickens. 
I did miss church on Sunday, because I had to stay with a sick Elder Reece, he was pretty bad off that day.  It was a little boring, he was sleeping most of the day.  I have decided I like doing things, not just sitting around.  I like being busy.  Well I'll talk to you guys later
Love, Elder Rogers

February 27, 2017 Week 70 Santo Domingo

Hello Family,

How's your week?  Good here, raining again.  It has been really raining, we get soaking wet a lot.. It's like rivers in the streets.   We went to check on our new investigator, he lives like 40 minutes away, and got caught in the downpour.  It's like flash flood sometimes here. We finally get to his house, and he wasn't home!!   Then on the way home, we saw this poor lady trying to get all this water out of her house, she only had one bucket.  Anyway we were bailing water out of her house, we found this other garbage can and really went to town.  She had a broom and we had the buckets, water was seriously about up to my kneecaps.  It was so flooded.  Good deeds, thank you....
My stomach hurts a little again, I don't know why.  For breakfast I only had some scrambled eggs, and toast, and then some cereal, and a few oreos.  Maybe it was the potatoes and onions I made after that.  hmmm...  
We did a service this week.  We got on a bus to go and then we all feel asleep and missed our bus stop by a couple miles.  So we had to walk back to our spot.  This guy came to pick us up in the oldest truck you've ever seen.  It has a machete for a door handle, and had at least 400,000 miles on it.  Drove up a mountain to a dairy farm.  It was crazy up there.  Mud everywhere, chickens, this weird fruit and a distillery etc..

I macheted a lot of weeds and such, and they had some really great food, the chicken was amazing.  I nearly blew my stomach right open, and it was so worth it.  It was a really good time actually.  They wouldn't let us milk the cow, because the cow didn't know us. 
Changes also this week, Elder Brown is off to Vargas.  Team three is getting split up.... I will miss Elder Brown, he is a good guy, great missionary, great companion. 
Elder Alanoka will be my new companion. He is from Bolivia I think.  Back to speaking spanish all day long.
I hung out with Elder Jones a little bit, ran a few errands and such.  Saw Elder Gill for a second.  He helped me with a miracle for Roque, which was nice.  We made a new sauna, it worked pretty darn good.  I've got an idea for the house, you guys should build a sauna.  If you ever get that deck going...
It wouldn't take that much space or money really, so think about that for a while. 
Love Elder Rogers

February 20, 2017 Week 69 Santo Domingo

Hello Family,

How was your week?  Ours was pretty darn good.  We got a new investigator, he is a police officer.  Nice guy.  We also had interviews this week, so those were good.  Also some of our investigators came to church Sunday, it was Stake Conference, so that was also good.   No baptisms this week though.

We got a little sick, but we are ok now.  There are elections this week, so things are a bit quieter around here for a couple days.  Carnival is still happening so we have to be careful of the kids throwing stuff.  The hammock making is going pretty good, I am almost finished with one part.
We also did a nice service project, it was helping fix a roof.  The roof was made out of bamboo like stuff.  I thought we should take the whole thing off and start over, but we just did like some patching. Wrapping wire and stuff around the broken pieces.
It was Valentines Day, and so we passed out some little flowers to the little kids around here.  It was fun.  We may get changes on a different day next week, so I will let you know what happens.  Catch you all later.
Love, Elder Rogers

February 13, 2017 Week 68 Santo Domingo

Great week and a great day today.  We visited the tsachila tribe.  They are really cool people. They have these natural saunas that they make, and a medicine tent type thing where the shawmen do stuff. They do some interesting things....  They make their own clothes.  We also threw some spears, I'm not very good at it.  I'll practice more when I get home.  Get me a spear please.

Sunday was real good.  We had people come, to church and we have a baptism set up for the end of this month. So that is great.  We have had some really good lessons, which is just great.  Spiritual stuff happening here....
 It has been raining every day here and there.  We saw someones roof caved in.  Everyone is trying to build damns and stuff.   Big rain storm, thunder, lightening, everything.
Teaching and knocking on doors.  Work work work....
Also we got some of our clothes ruined!! Don't ask..  It's ok, I'll be fine.  My companion might not be though, cause it was his fairly new suit.  Destroyed....   Also it is time for the kids to be throwing that chalk powder again.  I hate it, it stains your shirt.
We had reunions this week, just quick ones.  I'm teaching a little English.
We are tired, so we must be working hard.  We have a little bit of stress.  Not to worry, we can handle it.  Ether 12:27

PS Happy Valentines Day

Love Elder Rogers

February 6, 2017 Week 67 Santo Domingo

Hey family,
We ate some cow feet today, not my favorite.  Lots of people like it here..... I'm still not sure.  Also I finally got my shoes fixed.  I just had this guy put this new stuff on the bottom to cover the holes, and now I think they will last the rest of my mission.

A couple of our investigators have agreed to be baptized the end of Feb.  So that is really exciting.  They are awesome people.
Learning to play the guitar.....

Also I went for a run the other day, so that is something new.  Elder Rogers running.
Also I am growing a lemon tree.  It's coming along nicely.

We had a good stake conference this week also.  President came, which was real good.  He is all about numbers.

 Another thing, I think we all need to step it up with this work.  Every member a missionary!!!!  I think if we all did that it would be great.  If you see new people coming to church, just really talk to them and make them feel welcome.  That would be great. It's all about obedience really people.

We went around in a group of about 4 a little bit this week.  I'm learning to speak a little Navajo, it's super hard!  Well that's about all.  Thanks for all the letters and emails.  Love you guys

Love, Elder Rogers

January 30, 2017 Week 67 Santo Domingo

Hello Family,
Sorry for the short emails this week, I had to spend a little time on a college application.  I had to write some essays, it almost killed me for sure...  I wrote real ones this time.  It's really hard to decide what to do, you know.  There are so many things I am interested in.  Gun smithing, hammock making, chemical engineering.  Ya know.  I can't really think about that now, because I do have a lot of work still to do here.  Anyway we contacted today, no one really wanted to talk to us, so it was kind of sad today.  No pictures this week either...  We are heading to Ambato for meetings this week.  That means a pretty long bus ride.  I am excited to go there though,  It will be super cool.
There is a lot of agriculture in this area.  Lots of people ride motorcycles or 4 wheelers.  I like the area a lot.  People start fires in the middle of the street a lot around here, and there is a bakery on every corner.  It's pretty noisy and there are many bugs, including cockroaches and mosquitos.  Also many of the men walk around with no shirts on.
We met a lady today, and she just started talking English to us.  It was so strange to just start talking to someone and then all of the sudden they start speaking English.  Turns out they are missionaries of some sort.  It was interesting.  Anyway the world needs more people trying to help each other, so it's nice.  Well I guess that sums up the week.
Love Elder Rogers

January 23, 2017 Week 66 Santo Domingo

Well we taught the gospel today, which is what we do every day.  No breaks.... We are very busy.  We went to see a couple departing missionaries off today.    Found a couple nice people to talk to.  Two of our investigators are getting married soon, so that is a great step for them.  We found 4 new investigators.  We had some good lessons with them.  A little zone meeting this week.

Hey Kolt remember when we went mudding in the mazda, trying to go through a mud puddle, we got stuck instantly.  It wasn't a good idea.  Anyway off topic as usual.  

We have been seeing some miracles here.  A nice less active family, just got busy with life, but anyway, they are getting back to it now, which is great.   Just a lot of great people here.  I am hoping to help them.  

I had some really pretty good bread here the other day, of course it doesn't compare to grannys bread of any kind, but it is pretty good for here.  I do miss her baking skills. They are hard to come by here. Plus we don't have an oven.....  Well geez.. I'm hungry.  

Shout out to Elder Bradshaw and Elder Pawlak in Texas!!  Well Team 3 over and out

Love Elder Rogers

I think maybe I will start a hammock business here in Ecuador.  It's in the works....