The Call To Serve ...Week 24 in Lapeer

     What a week! We started off in Port Huron playing games with our district and having a great time, because that's what it's all about on preparation day! Then we came back to Lapeer to Contact. 
     
     But now for the highlights of the week.... one of the highlights was serving at the Food Pantry two days this week for a little bit in the morning. I love it there and they love having us there and its a great way to be in the service of our fellow brothers and sisters. 
    
     The next highlight this week was when we went with a member of the ward to visit some less actives and deliver cookies. It was alright, this time the people that answered were not the people we were looking for, they were friends, but ya cant win em all! 

     Another great part of the week was the last District meeting of the transfer. We discussed what we learned from the Elder Bennett meeting and it was good. The insights were great! One insight that stood out to me is that the adversary will lie to us and make us want to follow the lie, even though its a lie. So we need to be aware of the lies of the adversary. After that was a long drive and wait at the mission office to get our TIWI replaced because she was acting up, she was turning off and on every few minutes.

     The next best thing was transfer calls! I don't have to pack just yet, I have to wait I guess. That's great cause I didn't wan to leave! So Elder Weinand and Elder Rodgers will be staying in Lapeer. 
     
    Then Saturday after some contacting The Call To Serve came from president Cleveland asking me to serve as a District Leader! I was caught off guard, mainly because I'm an old missionary, but hey I guess on the bright side it will help me have responsibility and stay more focused so that is a win.

     Sunday was great, it was fast and testimony meeting. That was a great meeting and it was the first time in a while I got up and actually did it. Later we had a good correlation meeting and a great night.

Lots Of Love, and Laughs and Lollipops  

Elder Rodgers 

His working hard face. At the food pantry.

Elder Weinand has a working hard face too!

Food Panrty

Driving!

Still way hot here!

Foe Dad!

75 on I-75 ...Week 23 in Lapeer

     In 1st Corinthians 13:2-3 we read (2)And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.(3)And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. This scripture was shared by Elder Bennett on Friday and has really been a scripture I have pondered these last few days. It really hit me on the NEED we have to develop this attribute. Also I have enjoyed the talk given by President Thomas Monson in the most recent general conference called Kindness, Charity & Love  where he spoke on the gift of Charity. 

     This week has been good, some highlights of the week include.. Monday I took a nap and it was great! This week was also full of service, we had the opportunity to serve at the food pantry again and help out there one morning. Then they gave us some food in return, it was very generous of them. 

     On Wednesday this week District meeting was cancelled, in turn we were asked to study Charity found in Chapter 6 of Preach my gospel. It's a great section and what will happen when we develop this gift. 

     Friday was a great day filled with spiritual insights and a drive to continue to the end.  In the morning we had to drive to Southfield to the chapel and since I'm the driver I got to drive down the freeway and very close to Detroit. I was driving 75 on I-75 ! It was crazy and a first time for me driving on such a large scale. Elder Bennett came and from 9-4:30 he spoke then 45 min for lunch. Then he was non stop, he spoke of the lies that Satan can place in us and the need we have to not believe him. He also spoke how to gain a desire to work then believe on how you can and then ACT. It was helpful. Another thing he mentioned was that if we read daily from the Book of Mormon especially, and pray morning and night and attend the temple we will not go astray but we will receive exaltation. It was a great meeting. By the time we said goodbye to other missionaries it was 4:45 so on the drive home it was so backed up with traffic heading north, it was rush hour on Deerfoot in comparison. It added 40 min to our travel! A long driving day. 

I hope y'all have a great week and  I would invite you all to study Charity because without it, like the apostle Paul said... we are NOTHING! 

Lots of Love
Elder Rodgers

Elder Rodgers & Elder Weinand

traffic on I-75

"Heaven on a plate"

Reunited, I Never Thought It Would Happen ...Week 22 in Lapeer

     Starting off this week I got some highlights. First Highlight was pday. The Elders from Port Huron came here, instead of us going there. It was a nice change. We went to a Chinese buffet, its tradition. Then we played board games and basically just had a chill day. That night we needed to buy more cookies for cookie splits so the nearest GFS (Gordon's Food Services) to buy them was in Burton, an 18 mile trek out of our area. When we got there it was closed due to Labor day so drove back... awkward. 

     Another highlight was our service on Tuesday. It was good, we got to take some people through the food pantry and talk to them. It was a great experience, and we got some free bread out of it so that was good. Next adventure was that night and we did cookie spits with the last bit of our cookies and they went well, except one was interesting. We knocked on this one door and the son of the man answered and said he couldn't accept the cookies on the behalf of his father because he felt uncomfortable and that his father didn't belong to our church, and he wanted to "just" remove his record. It was interesting.

     More Highlights include our District Meeting. It was our first with a small district. We stared with 6 and now down to 4. It was a great meeting, we discussed daily contact and the need to establish it with our investigators. Later we had an interesting lesson with two members and our investigator (A), when we got there to teach A through the whole lesson he was telling us why he isn't joining the church. Sad lesson but hey... keep trying. t

     The next best part of the week was Thursday evening we taught a less active who is progressing so fast and is exited to be preparing for the temple. He is such a great man with a strong spirit.

     Friday brought a great adventure as we went back to the food pantry. It was great, they gave us some packaged food they couldn't give away because of the packaging, so it was great. That evening the best part was exchanges or basically the drive out there was. This time I was going on exchange with Elder Myer! We were Reunited, I Never thought it would happen, but it did. It was alright, not a lot happened other then the baptism in their area which was a great experience. After that we treated ourselves to a Chinese buffet to celebrate. Also today we lost a member we bring teaching with us, he is heading to school out west, cant win em all!

     Ya'll have a great week

Lots of Love
Elder Rodgers

I'm driving!

TIWI

Chines Buffet!

Breakfast

Michigan Driving ...Week 21 in Lapeer

     Here are a few of my "Highlights" of my week. They include but are not limited to... Preparation day - we went to Great Lakes Crossings Outlet, and there I had Panda Express for lunch and got a custom made hat. It's pretty cool I think. That's was a great part of the week.

     Next highlight was Interviews with President Cleveland. They are always good, usually short but in that time he helped me understand more of my purpose. 

     Next Highlight of my week was District Meeting. Our Zone Leaders were there and we had a good practice of how to gain referrals from members, while teaching our short messages. Another highlight was cookie spits that evening. We went out with a Priest and talked to 1/3 people but the first one was good as she was home and let us come in and share a scripture. I shared Omni 1:26 and if you dont know it go read it!

     Thursday was the biggest news of the transfer, Elder Shultz got a call from the AP's saying he was leaving and had to pack today and be at the mission office Friday at 9:00am. There was another Elder who had to go home so Shutlz was being transferred out to be the other guys companion. So Thursday was spent washing and drying clothes and packing and saying farewells to members. We had a member teaching visit that evening and some contacting to finish the day. 

     But some also big news is, I have never driven on my mission. The old mission president told me I can't (being from outside the US) but president Cleveland said OF COURSE YA CAN, you had a valid drivers license. So I get to do some Michigan Driving, YAY!! So I drove home!  The the rest of the highlights from that day were our lesson with a less active returning member. For our drive out to Port Huron for exchange tonight I drove on my first Interstate I-69. 

     More highlights for Saturday was Elder Smith and Myself exchanged and the whole day was great. Our two lessons fell through so we did a lot of talking about our mission experiences and even talked about home, I mean its 15 weeks away. 

     Last highlight was Sunday, we had a member dinner and had TACOS! YUM! I love tacos, can't get enough. 

HOPE Y'ALL HAD A GOOD LABOR DAY 

Lots of Love
Elder Rodgers

Bye to Elder Shultz

Canada coast Guard while on exchange in Port Huron

My custom made hat

Michigan Detroit Mission

Elders Weinand, Smith, Rodgers, Shultz and Myer

Mission picture with Elder Renlund

Waking up at 4:00am ...Week 20 in Lapeer

     8-21-17 - 8-27-17 ....This week has come and gone! My highlights include: Monday we went to Port Huron and went out to the Chinese buffet, but what I thought would be a good highlight was the solar eclipse but you could put that as a big disappointment, it was lame! With no glasses you couldn't see it happen and when I saw it, it was lame, cant win em"all! Side note, the 21st was our beloved prophets birthday, Happy Birthday President Monson!

     Next Highlight of the week was we volunteered at the food pantry and it was just like the service we did in Monroe at the food pantry there, it was great. Another highlight of that day was we went on cookie spits with ward members and had a good visit. 

     More highlights include Wednesdays District meeting. There we discussed sharing missionary moments with ward members, before class starts. It was great! 

     Next highlight was Thursday evening when we did more cookie spits in a different part of the ward, and that went well also! 

     Another highlight was on Saturday we meet with an investigator, read the Book of Mormon and helped her a little but with some yard work. Then that evening we had a lesson with a less active that we were assigned to help. I love him, we taught the atonement and how he can gain a testimony of it. Also it was a hot air balloon festival, great night!! 

     Next highlight was Waking up at 4:00am! Yes it was a  highlight because we were driving to Westland to listen to the words of Elder Dale. G. Renlund, and Elder Randell. K. Bennett of the Seventy, and their wives. It was a great experience to listen and be taught by an apostle who was so close and in person. It's been a blessing to hear the word of Two apostles in the last two months. Next highlight was Stake Conference where we heard the words of our stake presidency and some others but when Elder Randell. K. Bennett spoke it was great, and I cant wait till he comes back to the mission to spend the day with missionaries! The closing highlight was dinner with bishop, it was great!!


Lots of Love
Elder Rodgers

Zone Conference

New shoes!

Yumm...Taco Soup