June 13, 2011

Hola Familia,
Well, a few notices. I got the package with the boot and the memory card, two blue ties and mac. & cheese. I wrote a letter to Elder Bishop and Robert Godfrey and I sent them with Elder Packard when we had changes and they went to Asuncion, so it should be on its way. So it sounds like you have had a lot of changes in the house! But with Mom knowing house design I know it will turn out great. Good Luck!
Yesterday we had District Conference. President Madariaga came and talked. We had some investigators attending, especially a man named Ramon Ortega. He talked with missionaries a looooooooong long time ago and was praying to ask God if the LDS church was true but never got his answer because he was not reading, or going to church. So we have been focusing on those three things (church, read, pray). There is no other formula to know if it is true or not. He is currently attending an Evangelical church. He has gone to many different churches to find the right one but he says that he has not found it yet. This week we are going to be focusing on visiting him with members. He has had a doubt that the Sabbath day is Saturday and not Sunday. We felt to tell him that if he makes an effort to go to church on Sunday that God, through the spirit or through one of the speakers, would answer his question. Then he made it to the general session of conference (for everyone) and WOW the first talk was almost pure Guarani and he was talking about the día de reposo (day of rest --> Sabbath Day). I felt very grateful that God would answer his prayers and ours too, as we were praying that the conference would touch his heart. When we said bye to him he seemed really happy, his countenance. Then if that wasn't enough I kinda waved over President Madariaga and he shook his hand and told him that were real representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We also found a family that were members, like 10 years ago, (or something like that) and now they are Jehovah's Witnesses. It is really hard to teach people who have hardened their hearts. We bore strong testimony and they threw it off. Then the wife said something that disturbed us. They invited us to listen to the JW missionaries when we finish our missions because they said they found the truth through the LDS Church. I know the church is true. They never had a testimony. I can see how necessary a testimony from the Holy Ghost is. They said things along the lines that they are not 100% sure that their church is true and we told them that we know our church is true and that’s why we are thousands of miles away to bring this message. We need to always be reading, praying (especially to build our testimony), asking if the church is true, and go to church every Sunday.
We had some funny experiences making pumpkin pie. We didn’t make it like Grandma makes it but it will do, for now. But the conclusion is that people from Paraguay HATE pumpkin pie haha. They said that the crust was delicious haha. There was one family that thought that we were kidding when we said it was made of pumpkin and thought it was chocolate. None of them liked it!!!! Leftovers! I will admit it was NOT 5-star so maybe you guys can send us a recipe to make the pumpkin. I don’t think it is turning out 100% right.
Today I finished Predicad Mi Evangelio (Preach my Gospel) in Spanish. :) so that felt good to read. Thanks for everything, family. I love you all soo much. We are entering winter. It is getting a little nippy over here. haha.

Love you all so much. The church is true!
Elder Lucas Rodgers

Baptism of Vincente Benitez Irayales - June 2011

June 6, 2011

FAMILY!!!!
THANKS for the awesome letter!!!! How great it is to hear all this!!!

This week for me has been blessing alley!!!!!!!!!! BLESSINGS!!!!!!!! Where do I start? Yesterday we had a baptism of a man named Vicente Benitez Irayales. (I think that is how you spell his last name.) For about two months the missionaries were working with him and he was drinking and smoking every day (was, as in a long time ago). While I was here there was one night when he left with his friends, one of the first times I saw him. He is about 29. He has made such great progress. Then after his baptism we were walking to his house and he passed us on his motor bike with his friend that he was taking home. He was excited. Then I began to worry a little bit if he was drinking to celebrate his baptism. He had really only been out-going when he was drinking. He is a rather timid guy but that shows how bad my faith was. We got to his house and were waiting for him then we began to talk. He was blessed and changed through Christ. He was telling us that he had such a desire to serve everyone now. That was why he was driving his friend home. He started thanking us in Portuguese but I could understand pretty much everything he said. The spirit was so strong there. They invited us to eat today again in their house at noon. Wow, and now his sister is showing interest in listening to us and going to church.
Another thing happened the day before. (Well one thing I didn’t mention is that Elder Anderson, who I lived with in Concepción is now serving in GUESS... Kennedy ha ha, so he has been meeting people I knew when I started my mission.) Saturday he called me and said "There is someone who wants to talk to you" and before I could ask him who, or what was going on, I found myself talking to Gabriela and Victor!!!!! They said that they had had some hard times and it was hard to go to church but that they are going to be going back and Elder Anderson is going to be helping them go to the temple!!!!!!!. Before I go any further Elder Anderson is awesome. Mom, Dad, don’t be surprised if in 2 or 3 years I have the idea to make a trip down to Colorado ha ha. So he is a great missionary (after a long time of lazy missionaries) that will be in Kennedy. While I have been gone there have been some skeptical missionaries serving there.
There is a joven here (joven = youth) who we visited and had a great lesson with. He was a little less active and he came to church – MIRACLE - and told my companion (not flat out, but he was thinking it) that he wants to serve a mission and wants to help his family. When we were sharing with him on Saturday he was asking us a lot about our missions and how were our families. I mentioned most of the blessings that we are receiving, as did my companion. The spirit was strong. Then he mentioned that he really was the only young man that could support his family. He is a strong asset to his family and oh ya, one more detail. He is the only member in his family!
So the blessings of heaven are falling!!
But like I said thanks for the letter, for hearing of all the blessings. I think that the only reasonable response is that the church is true! It just makes you feel sooo good!
This week we have plans to have a dinner with a less active family. We are going to be making pumpkin pie for them, MMMMmmmmm!!!! Exciting! I will write a letter to Alex Cobb. Tell him to expect a letter from Paraguay!
I was reading in Alma, when Alma was teaching in Ammonihah. They rejected his call to repentance and they accused him of being only one man that God called. (Alma 9:2). He left, sad, because he had no success neither baptisms. Then an angel came to him and said go back and bear your afflictions with patience. He goes back and gets his new companion, Amulek. Then they go back "two by two" (D&C 42:6) to preach. The city is astonished that there are two missionaries, ha ha. They preach that if they do not repent God will destroy the city but of course they don´t believe them, which makes the scripture Alma 16:9-10 just that much better and also the scripture Alma 3:26-27.
I love the Book of Mormon. I know it is true. We need to read it day after day. I know I wasn’t too excited to do that before the mission but now I kinda understand why ha ha. But thanks for everything.

Con MUCHISIMO AMOR,
Élder Lucas Rodgers

Missionaries at the Paraguay Asuncion North Mission office

Luke and his new companion, Elder Thomson, from Utah

May 30, 2011

Hola Family,

I am writing you from another city! but still far away from Asuncion. It’s a city called Peter John Gentleman or in Spanish - Pedro Juan Caballero. It is right next to Brazil. We are learning a little Portuguese haha. It’s a chilly area!, the coldest zone in the mission haha. So I will be here for winter, haha. We are teaching a Brazilian girl (Emily) but she speaks Spanish perfectly. The missionaries usually give away Portuguese copies of the Book of Mormon, haha. We have been working with a man, Vicente. He likes speaking Portuguese more than Spanish but with us he has to speak Spanish. His baptismal date is for Sunday after church, so well see - if he doesn’t smoke or drink this week. He really wants to follow Christ. There has been a great change in his life and a greater desire to follow the Savior. In all this city there are 5 companionships of missionaries. We are in rama 1. It is a very rich place (in comparison) because there is a very strong Brazilian influence. You can even use Brazilian money here - reals. There are very big super markets with GOOD food!

I feel that my testimony of the Plan of Salvation has grown here. I feel that every trial that we have is something that God wants for us to learn. I have been listening to many talks that I have on my iPod and a common theme is that trials make us stronger and if we didn't have them there would be no purpose. It is a very saddening experience to hear about the death of a family member but the knowledge that we can live with our families again is a promise that is given from God and an everlasting promise. I love the Savior. I have learned so much from him on my mission. He knows how to shape my life with things that he knows I need. For example, why in the world would a parent give a needle to their child? That is PAINFULL!! Why would a parent willingly inflict pain on their baby? Because they know that a little pain now will save them from suffering in the future, save them from trials that they can not handle. God knows what we can handle and what we can not. If we receive a trial from God it is because he knows we can overcome it and win the victory over our trials. And just think of what we learned. We can look back and see that we have grown.

I love you all soo much and always pray for you, especially for Grandma Spackman. I pray that God can be with her more than ever. I love you Grandma!!!! Thanks for everything, everything that you guys do for me.

Love, Elder Lucas Rodgers

Luke and Christian