Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Monday, August 30, 2010

August 30, 2010

Hola Familia!!!
Como esta la mejor familia del mundo!!!???
Wow, it really is weird that August is ending. Now we are going to be entering summer times-2! I don't know how much I am looking forward to it but it is the time of the Lord that I am here so I will suffer if I have to, haha. Another thing, I was reading the letter you sent about the talk of Jordan Crane. He said there were sometimes he felt he was in the middle of the refiner’s fire. Ya, I feel the flames too!!!!!!
It’s funny I have been meeting a lot of elders that have less time than me, a lot more than usual. Actually, this week I went on divisions with a new missionary. It’s the second time I worked a day in my area as the senior companion. My comp went to another area for the day and I had to do everything. It was really fun! I really feel my Spanish has improved with Élder Alvarez because 24/7 I am with Latin Americans, plus I feel really tall, haha.
Sorry, I had troubles with this computer to start so I lost some time. I had to write this letter, but I got my first letter from Élder Bishop and it took 15 days to get here. I think I will be sending him one back this week. It’s really fast! There is a picture that I am sending that we can have his parents forward to him. It’s a picture that I took when we went to the South American Confederation of Fútbol.
This Sunday we went again to N. Colombia. We are planning to start a small sacrament meeting there in the afternoon and invite people. So we are thinking that when we finish there, there will be a small branch that could get bigger. Like last Sunday we gave the sacrament. We were with one of our converts, ¨Junior¨. He went with us and blessed the sacrament.
In the photos there is a type of jewelry that is only found in Paraguay. Its called
“Filigrana” (or something like that). Its really cool. I am thinking of buying some for people back home like Mom, Ragan, Lauren. In another photo those kids are a family that we are working with, their older brother Junior just got baptized
One thing, about 2 weeks ago I got a letter from Jessica in Okotoks. But I was not given a return address so if you can find that out for me I would be able to reply.
I got your letter about wanting to come down at the end of my mission and I think that’s a really cool idea but I think it is only allowed for about 1 week. You should talk to the parents of Elder Hanchett. They are planning on doing that. See what they are going to do. The thing that he mentioned to me was he wanted to go to the temple and go through a session then have a taxi take his parents to the next session and would reunite with his parents in the celestial room. I think that would be really special. But it’s still a long time away so I think you could start saving money just in case. Thanks for having all the family write something in the past letters. It’s really cool to hear from everybody. I love everybody, and say hi to everyone for me.
I tried making chili this week but I didn't cook the beans long enough and they were still crunchy so it didn’t work :( , but I still have the taco flavoring. Thank you for EVERYTHING!!!! I love you guys so much!!! The church is true!!!
Love, Élder Lucas Rodgers

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Trip to Nuevo Columbia with Elder Alvarez, Bruno (ward mission leader) and Oscar (recent convert)

Big Bug on Nametag

Hole for Mary & Humberto


August 23, 2010

Hola Como esta,
Wow, that sounds so fun! Three Crown! Tell them that they have to do that summer of 2012! (Well if the world has not ended yet, haha, just kidding) The date of September 15 isn't Elder Alvarez's birthday, it is his day to leave. His birthday is tomorrow, the 24th. So we will be going to the office for changes on the 15th. Anyways so we can hope the package is there. Usually they bring packages to district meetings, so we will see.
I will warn you guys that I bought a new suit today. It cost Gs 380.000 or about $75 - $80. I love it. I feel so thin, haha, but my other one is really big on me now so I am thinking of giving it someone here. Let me know what you think.
We had an okay week but Sunday ended really well. We went to this place called Nueva Columbia and met the 4 members there. We talked to them and asked them if there was anything we could do for them. The first thing they asked for was the sacrament, which was really special to hear. So I blessed the bread and I kneeled down in the dirt and said the prayer and the spirit was so strong. One of the ladies, her expression about the sacrament was so powerful. It was an experience that I will never forget.
There are a few other families there in N. Columbia that we will visit the next Sunday. We hope that one Sunday we can have a sacrament meeting in their house, because 2 of the ladies can’t walk very far and they live out in the fields.
But today we went to a place all about soccer in South America. History about all the countries in South America. I took some pictures of the Chile things to show Elder Bishop some time.
Saturday like last week we dug a big hole for the family of Mary and Humberto. It was getting really big but we came across a bunch of big rocks and had to stop. Emboscada is known as the City of Rocks. There are so many rocks here haha.
That picture of David and Diantha, is that Picture Rock on the trail of Carthew????
And why is Tanner’s shirt green?? Tanner is going to be taller than me when I get back!

P.S.
The pictures: circle - Mary Y Humberto
Square - Agustin
big bug on my nametag
trip to Nueva Columbia with Bruno (Ward mission leader) and Oscar (recent convert)

Love,
Elder Luke Rodgers

Monday, August 16, 2010

August 16, 2010

Pe-Hendú mi...
Ndé^pa re-hendú hina?
solamente para ver si están escuchando jaja!
I have been studying Guaraní and I hope some day I can teach in it. It’s a fun language. Well, we had a good week. This Saturday we dug a big hole for Agustin. I don’t have my pictures with me so I will send them next week. It was really fun :P. We got a sweet set-up. We live next to the church and we have the keys so we are going to go to the church and play soccer in the mornings for exercise. There is a new field, well its cement, so you can play volleyball, soccer, basketball, tennis, a bunch of things.
I keep trying to animate my companion because he has changed his mode of thinking to “34 days and I'm done”! I keep telling him the last part is the best!! But he is ready to go. There are a few things that I can understand would dis-animate him: 1) once in a while he will receive an email from his family and when he gets one it’s only really short and 2) he lost a whole DVD of his mission photos.
But we have plans this week to go to a little village called ¨Nueva Columbina¨. There are about 4 members there and they can’t come to church because there are no buses to take them. The missionaries have not been there for years so I really think there are people that want to listen and people who are prepared by the Lord. I am having thoughts that one day missionaries will be there and they will have a branch one day, the faithful members. Some of them can't walk so they can’t come to Emboscada. I really think that area can progress. I'm excited to go there this week.
The family of Mary y Humberto, the “familia Purete” that we found on Canada Day (:P) are progressing Well, they haven't been to church and Humberto needs to get a divorce but they are awesome! He also is always working. His job is driving buses from Asuncion to Brazil and his work calls him about the night before to let him know he will be working so we are always scared that one day he will be gone and not come back for a few weeks. I have been thinking that the families that can help the church the most will need the most work. The families that will lead the church when Jesus Christ comes will need to be the best. We have been telling them about the blessings of temple marriage and the plan of salvation. I don't want to lose this family. We were talking with them one day and explaining how the Lord prepares a way. There were elders that were working with Humberto in 2004 and they helped him so much but his wife would never listen to them. Now 6 years later we are the first elders to teach his wife, I gave her a conference Liahona in Expañol to read. We are going to be focusing on gaining a testimony because once they have a strong testimony nothing can stop them from progressing. Pero todo esta bien en Paraguay todo tranquilo-pa I-pora-nte
a-je-pokuaá ma ko ára re (I am used to this weather)
Che-tuicha-vé pee-heguí (I am bigger than they are(in Paraguay))
I don't know if you are sending anything soon but if you send a package, send some things for the birthday of Élder Alvarez, Aug 24. (Only if you think it will get here before Sept 13-15ish) He won't be getting anything from his family. And send some pistachios for Leo. She lived in Spain for a time and she misses them. I shared with her some sunflower seeds and it reminded her of pistachios.
The shoes, I will not have too much time to go to Asuncion to buy them (I still don't know where they are). I haven't been worrying too much. The shoes I have are still holding up. I am trying to take good care of them.
I am saving my last Eatmore. I want to eat it but it is being saved ha ha,
Thanks for all the updates from home its great to hear that everyone is doing good
We have Zone conference this week so I am excited to go to that.
Thanks for everything you do for me.
I don't know if you have deleted all the contacts from my phone but if not look up the name ¨Jel¨ phone him and tell him to send me a letter ha ha. Likewise with ¨Gen¨ and tell her to write it in Spanish ha ha to see if I can understand.
But thanks for everything I love you guys so much. Send My love to all the family, the church is still young here but it is growing. Thank you
Todavía me escritura preferido es Helaman 5:12 nothing has passed it yet.
Love Élder Lucas Rodgers
P.S. My talking has changed to Spanglish I will talk in English then switch over to Spanish without knowing and vice-versa! Its kinda annoying, but funny! ha ha

Monday, August 9, 2010

New missionary house in Emboscada


Luke made spaghetti at Leo's house

Area in Emboscada

Rusty Train Car in Luque

August 9, 2010

Ha-upeí che familia kuera!?
¿como Estan?
Wow, first I want to say that everybody at home is growing up!! Tanner is as tall as Dad and Uncle Myrle! Como!? The boys in the ward! Wow, it doesn't seem like I have been gone for that long, but everyone is growing up!
We had an okay week. My companion (Elder Alvarez) has 5 weeks left in his mission and he is ready to go home. It’s hard because he thinks he is in his p-change. I keep telling him that that doesn't exist. There are days that are so hard. It’s weird that I have about 9 months in my mission and only 2 companions. Elder Sperel who came with me is going to be with his 6th companion! Usually companions are not together for 3 changes but if the Lord wants it I'll do it.
We moved houses!! about 1 min walking distance. But we are now next to the chapel. I will send some pictures. The pictures that I sent last week were a rusty train car in Luque (that's all I know) and the other one is an area in Emboscada.
Thanks for the letters about President Wade. He is a great man and he has a very strong testimony.
I used that pasta sauce and made spaghetti at the house of Leo. (there is a photo)
I love this area so much! I know that this area is where I am supposed to be, but the branch here is SO young. The members are awesome but sometimes they are just so weird.
I have been taking more time these past Sundays to really think about the sacrament and really what it means. I have realized that there are a lot of people that treat the sacrament like weekly exercising the arm to take the bread and water. How important it is to be worthy and in the right mindset, and to know what you are doing. Usually that is the most important thing we can do every week. Also when President Vera (Branch President) finished his talk I heard these words but they hit me differently ¨Yo quero comparter estes coses en el nombre de Jesucristo Amén¨ I want to share these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. How privileged are we to talk about things, share things, in the NAME of Jesus Christ.
I love the church and I know it is true I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and the Bible is too. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I don't know where I would be without him.
Thank you for everything you do for me! I love you guys and miss you too but the time here is flying. Sometimes it’s scary.
Love Élder Lucas Rodgers

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Luke with H1N1 guy wearing new Paraguayan winter sweater

Missionary Picture - Luke with wet baptismal clothing

Six baptisms -Juy 31, 2010

August 2, 2010

Hola Familia!
Ha-upeí Mba´e tekopio che familia kuera? (un poco Guarani)
WOW, what a week. We have been trabajando a ful! We had 6 baptisms!!! It was awesome and each person had someone else to baptize them. Me and my comp baptized two youth, Cynthia and Andrea (I wish I could say there were 10 converts) but 12 people in white, well you’ll see the picture. Then we had 6 confirmations in church. We were running around with the people all week. We took a bus Saturday to Arroyes Y Esteros (see a map of Paraguay on Google) to get more white clothes so it was a hectic day. We made banana bread in the morning. But the day turned out okay. Tomorrow we find out if we have transfers. I don’t really want to go because this next week we are working on moving into another house, the direct neighbour of the chapel here. It’s awesome. The house is small but everything is outdoors. There are chairs outside and table to eat haha, and the kitchen is outside, and a fan is outside so in the high of summer it would be awesome. This is Elder Alvarez's last change so he is ready to go home.
Today I ended up getting about 9 letters. I think they got misplaced and sent to the wrong zone then sent back, but thanks. I really enjoy the letters. I got my first letter about the adventures of Elder Bishop haha. I got the package with the hymn book Friday. I kept the tie with the bikes and I am eating the sunflower seeds right now haha. I got the wedding invitation from aunt Deb. (THANKS!! )
The Assistants are coming this week to look at the new house so I will ask them about the shoes then. I don’t know who that big thing with the blue head was, only they were handing out things about H1N1. That’s my sweater that I bought for the winter, It works quite well. The parrot is at the house of Cynthia and Andrea, recent converts. Thanks for everything! There is a picture of me and a bunch of wet white clothing, a great missionary picture haha
Love Élder Lucas Rodgers

p.s. I forgot about Canada Day :(

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Luke with Parrot at converts' house

Elder Hanchett and new Greenie

Purchases at the Expo