What an experience!!!

Ok yet another week goes by and i still can't believe i'm in the
MTC learnin' German!!! Really the other day when we were going
over some ridiculous grammer concept i just started laughing in the
middle of class. That is probably from the fact that i've been
doing the exact same thing everyday for the last 5 weeks, but also
cause i am flippin' learnin' German. It has been so amazing to
learn it. And this week has especially rocked because we started
teaching the lessons auf Deutsch. Ya this last Tuesday Elder
Houston and I taught the Restoration auf Deutsch and it was
amazing!!! Here is what happened: So tuesday morning I still
don't feel as prepared as i wanted to be, but as always we worked
at it and then prayed and told the Lord that we couldn't do this
without his help and that we knew that since we put forth the
effort to prepare he could do the rest for us. So we went into our
TE with Bro. Sorber. Bro. Sorber is only like the coolest teacher
ever, and also the hardest Teacher to teach. If you screw up he
will let you know like hardcore, he will start pullin up scriptures
and ripping you down. But that is only if you screw up bad. So we
sit down and we start teaching him. We get through God is our
Loving Heavenly Father and Families, then we get to prophets and as
i finish i tell him that we have prophets on the earth today, and
that it is so important that we have prophets and that we listen to
them. And he starts going off, on how all the answers we need are
in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, so why do we need prophets
today. Now let me remind you that this is all in German. So we
kind of fumble around with the issue of drugs and what not, but
then he pulls out a scripture that warns us about drugs. So i kind
of take a second and think about things then the spirit prompts me
to talk about the Family and Pres. Hinckley proclamation to the
world stuff, so we do, we start talking about it and how the family
is under attack today and that because we have prophets we know how
to strengthen and keep our families safe. He just ate it up and
was fine with having prophets today. Well since we had just gone
off on this point about prophets it didn't feel right to go back to
Christs earthly ministry. So we started talking about Joseph Smith
and all the ordinances that were restored through him, like correct
baptism. Oh no i did not just open up a door i didn't want to go
to. But yes, yes i did. So he says well i was baptized, and we
tell him that it was not correct, that we must follow the example
of Jesus Christ and be baptized by immersion. So them he asks
about all the people that lived between Christ and Joseph Smith
what about them, God loves them, but without proper baptism they
are lost. So we talk about Temples and Baptisms for the dead.
Once again can i remind you this is all in German. I don't even
know how to say have the stuff i said!!! That is all the Lord, and
no one else can tell me otherwise. So we explain it all and the
spirit was so strong that it made sense to him and to us. So wow
we got out of that explosion alive, but then he realizes that we
just told him that his baptism didn't count and neither did his
families. So we just explained that yes it wasn't correct, but
that he could be baptized into the true church on the earth. So
what do we do next? We flippin committed him to baptism!!! And he
said yes!!!!!!! Are you kidding me! I couldn't believe it. we
hadn't even taught all the stuff you supposed to. But then again,
we don't teach lessons, We TEACH PEOPLE!! Wow this was amazing.
We closed with giving him some scriptures to read and telling him
to continue to pray about it. Wow it was amazing. But that is not
all, he starts to give us feedback, told us our german was really
good, and that he liked how we addressed his concerns and how we
talked about the temple, a thing most missionaries are afraid to
talk about period, but we did it in the first lesson. And then the
flippin Icing on the cake. He told us that in his 2 years of
teaching at the MTC no elders have ever committed him to baptism.
When he said this i had the biggest grin on my face. He told us
that the spirit when we teach is so strong that no one would ever
say no to a commitment like that. I had the dumbest grin on my
face for the rest of the day. And you want to know why? I'll tell
you, it's because this Church is True, it is because whom the Lord
calls he qualifies. That was not me in that room teaching and
speaking all that german and talking about things i had never even
studied. That! Was the Lord! And i will boast in my God
continually. As of myself i am nothing, i am weak, i am a 19 year
old kid who is doing what the Lord wants me to do. But with the
Lord nothing can get in the way!!! Nothing! Family and friends,
when i walked out of that room, they could have handed me a plane
ticket to Germany and said "elder we need you there right now."
And i would have taken it without the least bit of fear, and i
would have with the Lord gone and done whatever he wanted me to do.
In that moment and even still i do not fear whatever is in store
for me in this life, on this mission, or for eternity. I love this
gospel it is absolutely amazing to be here learning how to teach
it. I love you, I love the people in Germany, and I most
especially love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Well I really don't know what else to say, i will be writing a
letter as well so look for that. Thank you for all you do, for
your love and support, I know it was because of you prayers that
the experiance i had, was able to happen. I love you all so much,
i don't think you have any idea how much i love you. This church
is true. I know it! Thank you so much and I love you all.
Love Elder Rogers

Zone Leader a week early!!?

That's right family this last sunday Elder Houston and I were
called as Zone Leaders a week early then usual, i'll explain later.
But wow it has been really intersting to have some more added
responsibility on top of what all the stuff we have to do anyway.
And this week has been kind of a struggle. The reason is because
we are in charge of the older Elders as well so what do they do
when someone younger is in charge, well just what Laman and Lemuel
did when Nephi was in charge of them. Ya the first night they were
a real challenge. We are supposed to be in out rooms and quiet at
10:15 then lights out in bed at 10:30. Well no one follows that so
we were asked to really get all the elders to follow that. And oh
how they didn't want to. And hearing it from Elders 3 weeks
younger then them is not the way they want to hear it. But we
prayed and asked for the Lords help and he totally blessed us. The
next night all the Elders without really being invited by us, were
just about ready to go to bed. Wow we are so blessed really and
the Lord really cares about us and what we do.

But anyway, the reason we have been called as ZL's a week early is
because the old ZL's are being called into there mission a week
early so Predident Curtis called Elder Houston and I as ZL's, he
said that he really had a strong confirmation from the Lord that we
needed this calling and that there was something we were supposed
to do. I am not quite sure what it is yet , but i know with the
Lord's help we can find out. Thank you so much for you prayers
they really help me a lot i can really tell.

So the german is going really well, we play a game called HELGA
where each day we draw names, and whoever is Helga wants to speak
the most german during the day and then at night we vote and see
who wins, at the end of the week the winner gets a prize. We don't
know what it is yet, but it will be cool. So that really helps
with SYL(speak your Language) Because when it is a competition we
all know that i really want to win. Right now i'm in a 4 way tie
for first, but today i'm pulling out all the stops, you have no
idea. But ya it really helps and it is so crazy how much we learn.

Now on to the important stuff, the spirit. As i've said so many
times the spirit in the MTC is absolutely amazing. On Tuesday
Elder Houston and I taught one of the teachers. Bro. Sorber, he is
such an amazing teacher, and he will totally rail on you when you
do something wrong. So Elder Houston and I prepared as best as we
knew how and practiced a lot, and really really prayed a lot. So
we went in and Taught him about the Atonement and the Word of
Wisdom. IT was so amazing!!! The spirit was so strong and wow it
is almost unexplainable. But after Bro. Sorber asked how we felt
he felt (the investigator) and we said good we thought we kept him
involved and did everything we had been taught. Then we braced
ourselves for the onslaught. But guess what? It didn't come.
Honestly, he went to say something and just stopped. And he
said,"all i can say is remember how you prepared, remember how it
felt to teach this, and do it agian." Wow can i just jump around
screaming how much the Lord blesses us! It was amazing. But next
week we start teaching auf Deutsch! Holy cow, from now on the
lessons must be auf Deutsch, i am so scared, but i am even more
excited because i know that as i prepare, the Lord will do the
rest. I just know it!!!!!! This Gospel ROCKS!!!!!!!! I don't
know if i can say it enough. But wow, i am on such a spiritual
High right now i don't know what else to say, so I still have some
time so i'll probably send another email later today. LOVE YOU SO
MUCH thanks for your support and encouragment you are the best.
Elder Rogers