Monday, August 29, 2011

Edgar (ex-missionary, see Aug 8) with Elder Vasquez's nametag



The Same Authority



Ramon Family (Baptism of Ramon)



Our House



Baptism of Javier (with Luke and Elder Vasquez and Javier's uncles )




August 29, 2011

Hola Familia!

Before we talk about that topic that you guys had looked into for me, we had the baptism of Ramon!! It was amazing! After the baptism he showed so much gratitude. Today we have a family home evening with his family. Then Sunday after church we had the baptism of Javier, the nephew of Vicente, which was great. Tonight we have to leave for a city called Santani for a zone conference. Elder Melvin J. Arnold will be there, so that will be interesting. We are excited. We are working great with the branch. We had about 70 people in church. There was a moment when I thought that we would have to open the curtains. But it was a great Sunday. We are working with future leaders in the branch and are seeing success. We have been working with 2 ex-branch presidents and a couple of other men that are coming back to church. Now Ramon can have a calling. We have mentioned many times to President that he should give a calling to Ramon. EXITO!!! (success)

LAUREN!! I was just looking at the pictures of you and Aaron. You and Ragan have married men that are… well,don’t have hair, so DO NOT expect that I will marry a girl that does not have any hair, hahaha. But hey, awesome news!!! You have to send me an invitation! because I will come!

What you mentioned about the "Non-Matriculated Adult admission" sounds like a good idea, I will see what I can do to write an application form this week. I cannot guarantee that I will have sufficient time but I will do my best to finish it. Does it have to be long or short? How many pages?

I want to send these quotes this week;

Two people can do anything if one of them is the Lord.

&

The power of prayer usually comes after "Amen".

I don’t really know who was the first persona to say those but I really like them.

Let me bear my testimony to finish.

Che aikua ko tupao ha'e Hesukrísto mba'e ha ha'e añetegua, che aikua pe Mormon Kuatiañe'ê ha'e ha ñandejara ñe'ê, che aikua José Smith ha'e hagua peteí profeta. ha che aikua aleerupi ha aporandu haguere ñandejarape, ha ha'e he'icheve añeteguaha ha upearupi. Aikua Hesukrísto ha'e ha che salvarod, ha ñande salvador, ha ñande ha'e Ita'yra Kuera! Ha ko'amba'e ha'e pe ême Hesukrísto rerape, amén.

Love, Elder Lucas Rodgers

Monday, August 22, 2011

Luke and Elder Vasquez



Luke in Pedro Juan Caballero



August 22, 2011

Hola familia!
Well we had a good week but we are back in the cold :(. We were planning for the baptism of Ramon this week then it came down to the interview and he has some doubts still so we are going to continue to work with him. We had a great Sunday. A lot of less active members came to church, 55 people in total. Then we had a branch council!!!! finally! We got things going. We are going to be working with the members this week and working a ful! This week we moved so now we are living behind some members in a new house that they built! So that is great. It is a brand new house. (When I say house I mean 2 rooms - a bathroom and a kitchen and room for tables.)

We have the family of Andres y Christina and yesterday we went to their house and they showed a couple of doubts. They did not like how in Relief Society and Priesthood they had to separate from each other (which is the first time that someone has said that about the church). Also we have been hearing a lot of stuff about the Sabbath day, if it is Saturday or Sunday (not from them but others). Sometimes I am just soooo grateful for modern revelation. It just helps soo much to understand!!!!!

Well I will answer your questions. Really the invitations of who will be there and when they get there would be great. I don’t have anything against that.

You guys have mentioned that you want me to think of things that I would like to study. See what you can find about teaching Spanish and Music. I don’t know - maybe in junior high or something. Something that Elder Thomson told me is start a Spanish immigration program. It would be a big undertaking. The basic thing is that I love the Spanish language and want to continue to study it and apply it. I feel the Lord had me learn it for some reason more than my mission. Also I have thought a lot about trying to learn French because after learning one language I have heard that the 2nd is easier. And I have always thought about teaching music. Those are two things that I really love. I’m not sure if you could find classes about those topics. I love you guys soo much and always pray that God may bless you all.

Love Elder Lucas Rodgers

Sunday, August 21, 2011

August 15, 2011

Hey Family!
WOW, sounds like you guys are having a blast! You guys had better have some good hikes planned for next year!!! It was funny, last night I had horrible stomach problems, so after our last visit we booked it home because I knew I would have to use the bathroom. I was walking fast and my companion and Rodrigo at times had to jog/run to catch up to me. I had one goal in mind...... hahahahaha, so it looks like I’m ready for the mountains but that will still be in about one year unless there are some good winter hikes haha.
We had a family come to church! They are not married YET!!!!! WAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! (Evil cry) We are going to be working with them along with 2 other families, one being Ramon. We are going to be working with his wife, BECAUSE....... there was a baptism/wedding in rama 5 and the zone leaders’ phone is gone so the missionary called me to give the interview. We gave Ramon a call to invite him and he said the he would go! He went with his wife. During the wedding he mentioned that marriage was a mistake and so we are planning some things to teach.
This change has gone by SOOO fast. Here in the mission days go by like hours, weeks go by like days, and months go by like weeks..... It is scary. I CANNOT believe that we are in the middle of Augusto. Last Monday the office called me asking me at what airport I wanted to land so that was fast that they forwarded it to you.
That is great to hear how all the family is doing! I am happy that you are all doing well!
Sorry for the short letter. I think I will take out a little money soon because I am almost broke. Thanks for everything!
Love from the south!
Elder Lucas Rodgers

Luke and companion





Playing around at a park




Jerseys that I bought



August 8, 2011

Hola familia!!!1
WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW
MILAGROS (miracles)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOWOWOWOWOWOW
Well now to explain.......Bueno! I think that all of the continuation has a lot to do with the fast that we did and I am sure I can say the fast that everyone around did for the obra misional! (missionary work). Right after we started our fast we got a call from an ex-missionary who we have been working with ever since I have been here. He has never been to church. He called us to give him a hand because he hadn't been feeling too good. Well he came to church. Today we went by his house and we set goals with him that he will always be strong and come to church. We had received a reference from him. One of his neighbors just had a baby 9 days ago and is SUPER interested in the church!!! We have a family to work with!!!!! which is my dream!!!!
The older son of the Gonzalez family came to church for the last 20 min which was great because it was the first time in 15 years!!!!
But the best thing!!!! was that there was a young woman that got up to bear her testimony and the spirit filled the room, everyone was silent.... She bore a STRONG testimony and touched the hearts of everyone there. It was an answer to our prayers!!
I got your package that you sent for my birthday! Thanks!!
I am sending pictures of:

- the shirts/Jerseys that I bought, each shirt does not have a name behind it but you can talk within yourselves about which one will be for who, or **IMPORTANT** if anyone wants another color!
- today at a park playing ultimate Frisbee and playing around (Elder Halliday is in the background)
- pictures after our super - long travel
As of last week I lost 2 Kilos! haha about 4.5 Lbs haha line for line, precept for precept.
Thanks for everything! Love from afar,

Elder Lucas Rodgers

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Three Nametags!

August 1, 2011

Hey Family!

Sounds like it was a good farewell. I have sent a letter to Spencer. I’m not sure if he has mentioned anything. It was a good 3-4 weeks ago. Well good news - we have been teaching and working a FULL SCHEDULE!!!!!!!!! and it really is noticed when I wake up in the morning and my companion tells me that I sat up in my sleep and started teaching the lessons in Spanish, of course hahahaha. Multiple nights I have been sleep walking, teaching, praying, exercising hahahaha. I understand when they tell you that the work should be part of you, ha ha.
We have Ramon Ortega with an invitation to be baptized this Saturday, and Rafaela Rivas also. We will see. They still are missing some things but I know that by Saturday they will be ready. The topic came up with Ramos that the family is eternal. He has a hard time believing that.... what a chupa (cheap) doubt! The second Sunday when he was at church in priesthood meeting that came out as a doubt. There was a returned missionary there that explained a little bit to him. After church Edgar (ex-missionary) was commenting something to us about the Dead Sea Scrolls. It was a topic that I had heard about but the actual topic and information was unfamiliar. Yesterday we had a FHE with his family to help the inactive brothers; although they did not come.... We talked about missionary work with the family then Edgar got out a paper called "Los Escritos del Mar Muerto"
(The Writings of the Dead Sea) and wow, it was interesting. I’m not sure if you guys have heard of that.
Today I will buy the shirts and we’ll see how they turn out. Hopefully there are no "I don’t like that color" haha. Well all is well here in Paraguay. I am sending a picture of another plaque (nametag) that I got this week. Look carefully there are 3 different languages there, Portuguese, Spanish, Guarani.
You guys will have to send me pictures because I am 100% sure that Dad will be hiking! Enjoy it. We are hiking down here on rock roads. The only thing missing are mountains but while we were going to Yby Yau there was some great scenery. If you google it you may be able to find pictures of the landscape. Try Amambay, Paraguay scenery or "cerros" (hills), something like that,
We had a great meeting with President. I am excited to use what we learned to help and find more and more people!
With love from a cold, rainy, foggy, humid Pedro Juan Caballero!
Love Elder Lucas Rodgers