Beef Jerky + Powerade = Christmas Eve Dinner‏

Wassup everyone? Everything is goin great! There really isn't that much to say this week. For Christmas Eve we drove all day delivering packages to the members in our zone. It took all day and for dinner we ate really crappy and gross beef jerky because McD's apparently closes out here for Christmas Eve... Other than that, Skyping for the first time was quite the experience and it was super awesome to see everyone! We had a lot of appointments with members this week to try and get to know them the best we can. One of them is Brother Allan Sizemore and he lives in an assisted living home next to our apartment complex so we went over to see him and what you do when you go over there is you sit down and play checkers with him and talk... and it was really fun! And frustrating! We couldn't beat him! I was having flashbacks of trying to beat Grandpa Rogers at checkers and how i could never even get close cuz he was too good... same concept. But we'll get him next week!!!! Anyways i think that's about it! A big Thank you to everyone who sent me a gift! I will do my best to write a letter to you but just give me a few weeks! Love you guys!
-Elder Rogers

Sweet Home Alabama‏

Well everyone I've finally done it. I've been transferred to somewhere that is not the main city of the mission... and where I'm at is not a city at all. This is a town. I went from the city of Tallahassee, which is the furthest east in our mission, to the town of Atmore, Alabama, which is almost as far west as you can get in our mission. It's a 5-hour drive and it felt like it. Anyways I'm in Atmore, Alabama. This is a small town... really small. My new companion is Elder Riddle. And it is the craziest thing that we never met before our missions. He's best friends with a lot of my friends from Junior High and he graduated in 2013 from Northridge. He's from Layton. We are almost the exact same person. We have the same likes and dislikes... we're so alike that it's a little weird sometimes. We both just got put together in this area so that means we are whitewashing which is a term that is used if you are taking over an area and you are both brand new to that area. We are having so much fun! We haven't had a dull moment yet and we are killin it out here in this small town. Saturday we attended a baptism in our building. You could fit the whole building into the cultural hall of the stake center back home and that isn't an exaggeration. Sunday night we had our Branch Christmas party/dinner. It was really pretty fun and it was great for Elder Riddle and i to be able to meet all the members... all 45 of them.... and introduce ourselves. It's kinda nice to not have a giant ward cuz you can meet everyone and get to know everyone really well. Funny story for the week... So Sunday morning at about 3 a.m. i wake up cuz i drank a ton of water and have to use the restroom.. well I'm in a new apartment and I've been in it for about four days at this point and its setup is similar to the one i came from except for when you're in my room the bathroom is outside of the room and there are two walk-in closets instead of one walk-in closet and the other door is the bathroom (that's how it was in Tally). So i get up and we had previously put bedsheets over the windows so that it would be really dark in our room and its so dark that your eyes don't adjust to the amount of light coming in cuz there is no light in the room... not a single ray. So i get out of bed and its dark and I'm disoriented so i head to the door that i think will lead me to the bathroom.... and i walk in and feel the walls for the light and i can't feel it and all i can feel is clothes which was super confusing but i still felt around and so i thought maybe there is another door in here that leads me to the bathroom so I'm feeling around for a knob and i can't find one and i can feel that the back wall is maybe 3 feet from me and i was so frustrated cuz i had to go BAD and i can't find the stupid door to get out of the room so I'm panicking as well (keep in mind that its 3 in the flippin morning). So anyways i am just so annoyed and frustrated cuz i can't find the way out and I'm trapped in my room... so i go lay back in bed and that's when i realize that i had gotten up and walked to the wrong wall and i had walked into my walk-in closet looking for a way to the bathroom... so i got back up and went to the bathroom no problem... so that's it... i stood in my closet for 5 minutes or longer trying not to wet my pants.. moral of the story.. there is such thing as "too dark." Well if that wasn't funny then sorry... that's how it is round these parts uh Alabama... gots ta laugh at the dumb stuffs. I want you all to know that this Christmas i have learned so much and my testimony has changed so much. I have felt a deeper gratitude for our Savior and what he went through for us. He is our Gift and he brought us The Ultimate Gift. Love you guys! Merry Christmas!
-Elder Rogers
New Address-
710 E. Laurel St. #206
Atmore, AL. 36502 

I'm outta here!

Wassup wassup? This week we had a lot of crazy events! Monday was a normal P-Day.. Tuesday was our half mission Christmas conference. To see pictures you can go to "floridatallahasseemissionexperience.blogspot.com" (longest blog name ever) or the facebook page which will have videos as well which would be sick to watch! Anyways it was a blast it was from 9 to 4 so a huge chunk of the day and we got to hang out with the other missionaries and have a good time. We got to watch "Meet the Mormons!" And that was way awesome! It was weird to just kick back and watch a movie but it was a good motivational movie and it was nice to take a break. Wednesday was full of preachin and teachin. Thursday we went out to Brother Sushereba's again and this time i took my camera and got some way good pictures from our adventure with the horses. Thursday night is where the craziest event of the week took place! So we had dinner out at the Bells home. We leave and we're on the interstate headed home and just before we reach our exit we see a car on the side of the freeway with its hazards on  and as we pass it i get this feeling in my chest and this thought pops in my mind that we need to pull over and help those people. Well i just ignored it and got off at our exit and as we're pulling into the complex i ask Elder Troxel if we should go back and help them and after some discussion we decided to go back so we get back on the interstate and go down to the next exit and then we get off and back on and head back... when we spot them and see that they are stopped we pull over and put our hazards on. We get out and walk up to the passenger side door and we see that the two women inside are laughing... they role down the window and the woman who is driving says "She's a returned missionary of 2 weeks!" NO. WAY. That was the craziest event of the week.... until Sunday night! Transfer news came Sunday night and guess what? I'm outta here! On to area number 7!! Still haven't spent longer than 3 months in a single area! Don't send any more mail to the address that you have (for those of you who do send me mail) and i'll send you a letter from the new address! Anyways that's all for our crazy week! See ya!
-Elder Rogers

300% of our weekly goal this week!

Wassup wassup?? This week has been way crazy! Monday night we ate with the Bergstrom family in our ward and we got to tour their home (it's big) and during the tour we go into Brother Bergstrom's man cave. Trophies, pennants, posters, you name it and it's probably there. The back wall of the room is the 9-foot projector screen and he has some really powerful speakers in there! The room is soundproof and no windows so that place is dark. We watched the "He is the Gift" video in there and wow was that a lot different than watching it on a laptop. We also got to see their backyard which goes right out and meets a lake. They are one of seven houses built around a lake. And that lake is way clean! The moon was way bright that night so it was really beautiful! It reminded me a lot of what island park looks like at night! Tuesday i had an exchange with Elder DeGroff in my area and we were killin it! We taught 5 lessons in 2 days... which is a lot for this area. We also found 3 new investigators which is 300% of our weekly goal this week! It was awesome and we worked way hard and met some way cool people! On Thursday we did some service for one of the members in our ward. He had us cut down a ton of Banana trees! Banana trees are super fun to cut down. You use a machete to cut them down and with a sharp machete it will cut right through it in one swing regardless of how thick the tree is and there were a lot of trees so we had some fun cutting those down. Banana trees look dry on the outside but when you cut through the trunk water comes gushing out! They hold so much water inside them! It was really fun to slice through them and water was spraying everywhere when you cut them so it got you all wet and that made everything even more fun because it was 80 degrees outside! (Which sucks by the way... can't wait for a cold Christmas!) After we cut the trees down we put them in a pile out behind his barn and his horses were eating thåm so we got to chill with his horses for a while and he's trained them to be very calm and easy around people (i dunno how you do that but that's what he said) so we got to be around them and pet them and that was way sick. So that was project number one at his house. Project number 2 was to hitch up two of his biggest horses to the old-style buggy that he has and take them for a ride so he can start to get them in shape. So we got to hook em up and that was about an hour-long process but it was way fun! Then we got to ride around in the buggy for a little then we got to unhook the horses and wash them which was awesome! And the crappy part is that before we left to go to his house i looked at my camera and said "ahh i'm not gonna need that".... stupidest thing i er dun. So we're gonna go again in two weeks to help him with another project and get his horses workin again and i'll have my camera for that one and get some sick pics. Those were the crazy events for the week! Sunday night we got to go over to the stake center and watch the Christmas Devotional and it was super awesome! I got to sit with my homies Elder Hintze and Elder Milne and it's always a good time when you're around them. I loved the Christmas devotional.... the whole time i was wondering why i had never paid attention when i was watching this or General Conference because it is so awesome and beneficial when you watch them. I really love Christmas season this year. Even more than last year. There is a very different meaning and feeling to Christmas when you are giving the gift of Christ to those around you. If you haven't shared anything about Christ or His Gospel yet this season i invite you to do so... you will not regret it. I love you all and hope you are having a great Christmas season!
-Elder Rogers
... only 17 days left till Christmas. And i have decided to skype this year:)
Here's my new favorite scripture:
    "Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life." - 3 Nephi 5:13

Play hard. Eat harder!‏

Alright everyone i hope your Thanksgiving was great! Mine went something like this....
First we went and played in a turkey bowl which is in fact my first turkey bowl if you don't know what that is its a football game on Thanksgiving morning. It was way fun! Our ward, 2nd ward, is the only one that didn't have one so went to the neighboring ward's one. After that we went back to our apartment, showered, changed, and headed out for the day. At 1 we had a lunch appointment with the Griffin family. At 3 we had another lunch appointment with the Burton family. At 5 we had dinner with the Bisping family. And last we had a desert appointment with the Bell family. SO. MUCH. FOOD. But it was so great and all of the families we were with were awesome! I thought that my first Thanksgiving would be super trunkenizing but we were so busy with families and eatin food that we didn't even have time to sit down and think about what our families were doin! There isn't that much other that happened this week! Today is December 1st baby!!!! Hello Christmas time! ITs amazing how much time flies by when you're busy. Oh if you guys haven't seen the "He is the Gift" video yet on LDS.org then go check it out and pass it along! See Ya!
-Elder Rogers

These were texted to us on Thanksgiving Day.
Thank you to the nice person who thought to do this!

Wassup Wassup??

Wassup Wassup?? This week was really fast! I had an exchange on Wednesday so Elder Smith and i went to Monticello and we had quite the adventure. We went to Fred and Sue Williams home and had lunch with them. Afterward he gave us the "Jungle Tour" which is just a tour of his property. He's the guy with the pond and the alligator. We went out to the pond to see the gator but it was way to cold so the gator didn't wanna come out. After that we went around and did some other super cool missionary stuff. Friday i was on another exchange and this one was with Elder Christensen. We stayed around Tallahassee for this one and we did some pretty good missionary work! We went around talking to people and we ran into one guy who was walking his dog and he definitely had been talked to by missionaries before because we said "Hey you have a beautiful dog. What kind is it?" which is a great way to start a conversation! He's been down this road before cuz this was his reply "No i don't wanna talk about my dog and i don't wanna talk about your religion. I'll go to heaven because of my relationship with God. Not cuz Mormonism is gonna take me there.".......... walk away. The best part is as he's saying that he's talking with his hands and in his right hand is his dog's leash and in his left hand is a bag of dog poop... i just wish it had smacked him in the face or opened up... but it didn't. Well Elder Troxel has had the flu so i've been doing some very serious studyin over the last three days. And some letter writing. Most of you should be receiving a letter. If you don't then send me your address and i'll get you one! Love yall!
-Elder Rogers

(Sent to us by text)

Wassup everyone!

Wassup everyone! Life is the same ol same ol down here in the south. Crazy rain and wind storm today and it feels and smells just how Sierra Leone did.... i'm not trunky for home i'm trunky for Africa...... one day i'll go back. Anyways this week we did a lot of teaching and seeing a lot of less actives. One crazy thing about serving a mission (and i don't know if this is a southern thing or not) but i've run into a ton of people who are hoarders. Its gross!! I can't believe how much stuff some people can pack into a house or a room or a car.... just through your crap away!!! This week was actually pretty uneventful outside of the usual preachin and teachin! We got a new investigator!!!! Which is rare! He's a retired school teacher who is interested in finding the true church... however he struggles in believing in a God... which is a big problem but we're doin our best to help him overcome that. On Tuesday i was up in Quincy again and i got to hang out with Chickenwang for a few minutes until he passed out onto his cot. He had a plastic bag full of beers and he was already drunk..... he drinks that stuff like water.... pretty crappy life, but really funny to watch him try and move around and function. Anyways that's pretty much it! Love y'all!
-Elder Rogers

funnest dodgeball tournament i've ever been in!

Call me Daddy...

This week was freakin crazy! Transfers were Wednesday and i am staying with Elder Reyes and Elder Troxel. Thursday morning comes around and i have to go to the mission office to fill out some driving papers so i can start driving again. When i go in and fill them out i had to sit down with Elder Bell (one of the senior missionaries over vehicles) and talk to him about my two little accidents that i had. He asked about them and i told him straight up that i was distracted and that's why i got in those accidents. He laughed and said thanks for the honesty but you shouldn't have told me that.... well President Smith walks in and Elder Bell goes into his office to talk to him about my driving record because President is the one that has to sign off on the people he allows to drive. I'm walking away and almost out the door because i thought i was done when President's door opens and Elder Bell yells to me that President wants to see me. So i go into his office and sit down and we talk about my driving record. He told me very bluntly to stay focused when i drive because he's gonna need me to drive. He then allows me to leave and about 5 minutes after we (Elder Troxel, Elder Reyes, and I) leave we get a phone call from President and he tells us to come back to his office.... so we do. When we get in there he says that there is an emergency transfer taking place. One of the missionaries in another zone needs to come back to Tallahassee so he needs to send one of us up there in his place. He talks to us and says that he'd like Elder Reyes to go up there and take his place. Then he says to me that i need to go up with him and drive back the other missionary...... its a two-hour drive. I didn't realize that when President said he's gonna need me to drive he meant like... now. So we go up and trade missionaries and we head back to Tallahassee and we arrive safe and sound... i could not believe the timing of everything. I went into the office... got my privileges to drive about an hour before i had too.... and we made it back safe:) So now it's just me and Elder Troxel in Tally 2.2 just kickin it. I'm his trainer now... gonna be pretty interesting! :) Love yall!

-Elder Rogers

Chickenwang!‏

Wassup wassup?! This week was crazy! Tuesday i went on an exchange with Elder DeGroff in Quincy (his area). Quincy is full a homies! And you know what i mean by homies... my black skinned bruthas! Anyways we're up in Quincy and we're ridin bikes and talkin to a ton of people and it comes to 4 o'clock in the evening, and we had an appointment with and investigator, so we head on over to her house. When we get there we see that there are a ton of cars parked outside so we go up to the door and she comes out and says that now isn't a good time so we asked if we could come back in a few hours and she said that that would be fine. So a few hours pass and we head back over to her house... the cars are still there. We are met by the investigator's mother this time who really loves missionaries and has a lot of faith in the things that we do, so she tells us to come on in and pray for them. The investigator's cousin had gone missing so they were all mourning with each other so we go on in and we meet everyone and we're standing in the front of their living room and there had to be at least 20 people in that room. So here we are standing in a room full of people and Elder DeGroff starts praying and its kinda hot so we're sweatin a little and i am just getting flashbacks from Africa! Elder DeGroff finishes the prayer and then we leave. As we walk out i see a man across the street walking with a cane and he can barely walk straight and he's being pulled along by another, much larger, man. I ask Elder DeGroff if we should go over there and he said "nah he'll be alright. That's just Chickenwang." "Chickenwang"(don't know how he got that nickname) is a drunkard that hangs out at the gas station on the corner of the street... always drinkin and always drunk. Anyways he tells me that that is Chickenwang and then one of the women that were inside for the prayer came out to get something from her car and Elder DeGroff asks her "Is that Chickenwang?" and she looks up and across the street and in the black woman tone of voice says "Oh myyy... someone needs to pray for that man. He drunk for everyone!" That was definitely the funniest thing i had heard in a long time... I love the Quincy people so much! They are way funny! They found the cousin a few days later just so ya know. After that, not much has happened. Transfer news came last night and i am gonna stay with Elder Troxel and Elder Reyes for another transfer. They will be my 3rd and 4th companions that i have stayed longer than one transfer with. It's gonna be nice not havin to pack my bags this transfer:) This week we have been doing a lot of contacting on the streets and we've been using Family History to try and spark interest in people. It worked pretty well. The whole week was planned a long time ago to be a family history competition. If you got a return appointment using family history then you got a point and at the end of the day you send them all into your DL who sends them to your ZLs. At the end of the week there is a huge dodgeball competition (which is today). Its a huge tournament and the teams are set up by district. Our District is gonna own!!! The team(district) who got the most points during the week gets a few perks to help them. Its gonna be way fun! Our district is doin a blackout so we're all gonna wear black to harness the power of intimidation! Haha hope it works! Anyways love yall but i gotta "dodge" out (<--haaa get it). See ya!
-Elder Rogers

A picture of the Tally Zone from the mission blog.

Heyyyyy‏

Wassup wassup? Everything is goin grand over here in the bottom corner of the USA. It's cooling down and FSU is still winning games so the city is happy right now! This week was awesome. We went to Monticello again and it was a productive day out there as always. We celebrated Elder Troxel's birthday on Friday by going out to eat Sushi.... first time i've had it in over a year and boy was it good! 
This week was really awesome but the highlight was the weekend! I got to go see Rodson be baptized by Elder Dalley on Saturday... if you don't remember who Rodson is, he's the guy that walked in and watched "His Grace is Sufficient" and asked us afterward "How can i be converted?" So Saturday i got to go see it happen and during the baptism he ended up having to be baptized 3 times and after when he got up to bear his testimony he said "as you can see.... i had a lot of sins to get outta me" and of course everyone laughed. After that he bore his testimony and i wish that i could remember it to tell you what it was but i can't remember it but i sure can remember that feeling and let me tell you... i haven't heard such a strong testimony shared since conference. It's not that the other testimonies that i've heard were weak because they weren't... Rodson's was just super powerful! I was very happy and blessed to be a part of the teaching process for him. He asked me to confirm him the next day at church so ya know what that means??? A visit to the 5th ward!!!! So i got to go and confirm him which was so awesome and afterward i got to see all my peeps from the 5th ward and that was super sick! I really miss 5th ward but i gotta do work where i was sent! Love yall!
-Elder Rogers

Monticello‏

This week was a lot better. Elder Reyes was not sick so we were able to go out and do some work!!! Friday we went to Monticello and we were there all day. Monticello is about 30 minutes away from Tallahassee but it's just far enough that we can go to and fro easily so we go up there every Friday and it is a night and day difference from Tallahassee. Tallahassee is beautiful... and it's still city-like. But if you drive even 5 minutes away from Tallahassee its a campers dream out there. This place is beautiful! My favorite road to drive down is called Mickosuckee Road... its a two-lane road and it is completely canopied by trees... its freakin beautiful! And Monticello is full of those streets. We went out to see a member.. the Williams family. We went out and its in the boonies so we were expecting a trailer out in the middle of the forest somewhere... we were wrong. There was a dirt road called "Rainbows end road" and once you reach the end of that road you see their home... you have to drive past their pond first and their hunter's area that they rent out to hunters every year so that they can get rid of all the deer in the area and then you reach their home and its a classic plantation home from looonnng ago and it is beautiful! If it wasn't so gosh dang humid down here i would consider moving down here! Brother Williams gave us a tour of his property which included showing us his 3-foot alligator in his pond. It was a great time. Well that's a little bit of something for you guys to read this week. Love you all!
-Elder Rogers