Und es bagab sich....Week 4 in Wiener Neustadt

     Well. I'd like to apologize for the cut off letter last week. I was under the impression I had half hour left but suddenly realized I had 5 minutes. Whoops, my bad. But I've planned better this time. I have an hour. A real hour! Well I will have to excuse myself from my Book of Mormon writing for this week. Maybe I'll go back into it in the future. Guess we shall see indeed ! As for now I will explain to you the fastest week of my life where I really don,t even remember what I did. 

     I learned stuff though. Members feed me a lot of food. Just cuz I'm a big boy doesn't mean I can eat like a whole basket of salad! Or like a whole plate of anything. They are so lovely! They just feed us till we are stuffed. Members are so concerning and take care of us so well here! I love it! haha

     What happened this week. I was on tausch with Elder Lyons. We killed it. Lol wasn't much to do though. We taught German (I don't know how to teach German) and then we went home. Umm yeah. I really don't remember what we did this week. It went by too fast! 

     We taught a few lessons, had some members there too. Members teach a whole lot better than me. That's my opinion. They are awesome. haha I learn so much about how to teach from having members there. They do it great! 

     Friday it rained a bit and we had sport night at the church. Volleyball with people who come. Not too many people this week cuz of the weather. But we still had a couple and had a great time. 

     Man I feel bad. I really have nothing cool or crazy or anything to report. This week just went by. lol. Really.. lol

     I have been reading in 2 Nephi in German. That was so hard reading the Isaiah chapters haha but I,m past that now and life is good! I cant even understand that in English let alone German! I love reading in a new language. I get so many different things out of a verse. Just the different meanings of words and how things are written makes it so cool! Really does. 

     So I have been trying to immerse myself in the culture more. I'm really taking salad to a new level. trying a bunch of stuff I would never have tried. haha I'm just going nuts. 

     Well. I feel like this weeks letter is a step down from last week. Sorry. I legit have no idea what to write here. Life in Austria is awesome. I love my mission. I love everything! I am really so super blessed! It is such a blessing for me to be here. I learn so much. I love being able to really see myself grow and learn in the gospel. The gospel and this church are true. Simply that. They are how we can be happy in life. I've seen that to be so true. 

Thanks everyone for the support! I love you all :) 

Elder Rodgers <3

Some place in Wien! (Vienna)

Wien!

Wien!

A park

St. Stephan's Cathedral in Vienna

Meal made by a member. How good does that look? it was awesome! 

No a very good selfie lol

Dank Ihm!...Week 3 in Wiener Neustadt

     And it came to pass that I, Elder Rodgers waxed old in my months as a missionary. Yea, and it has been 9 months since my bags and I left Canada, only to depart into the land of the Germans. I have dwelt among these my people in their days of sorrow and their days of triumph! I have seen celebrations and also rejections. 

     Yea, and even in this, the 34th month of the reign of President Miles over the missionaries of the nations, the people began to wax strong in their belief on Christ. 

     And behold it came to pass that they celebrated the Resurrection of our dear Saviour and Redeemer even Jesus Christ. And it was called Easter! And it was a glorious time to be a missionary!

     OK well yes, it was Easter or still is I guess! Easter is awesome! The meaning behind it really is the reason why it awesome though! There's a video called 'Because of Him' that came out. I'll link it here. It's awesome! Go watch it! Everyone! And share it with the world!

http://easter.mormon.org/?cid=HPTU041514694 

     This week was really great! We did a ton! But one of my favourite days was Friday. Actually that was the coolest day of the week. I shall describe it with great detail...

     So. We awoke and showered. I said my morning prayer. I did 13 push ups, 13 sit ups and 13 chin ups. 13 is my favourite number. Then I showered for 13 minutes. Shaved. And then got a pair of shorts on and a shirt and got ready to do service! OK less detail now... We went out and helped in a  forest. We lifted and loaded tons of wood into a tractor and were out there 3 hours. It was so fun! I think I may have gotten a couple spider bites on my legs. They are way cool! 

     OK after that we ate at the peoples house. We had like the biggest salad I've seen in my life. It had 11 different types of vegetables in it! Oh man! How? I don't know. How I ate it? I'm a Missionary! 

     OK then we got back and started out tausch! (exchanges) So I stayed here in WNS(Weiner Neustadt south) with elder Kingery! We did that. We found the coolest guy! Antonio! He is soo sooo cool! like so cool. We met up with him again Saturday night for dinner. He is the coolest dude! So we hope to work together with him! 

     I just realized I gotta run way soon! (They were leaving for Vienna)

     Um so we really just had a great week. Taught lessons. I'll fill that in next week when I plan time better lol. Sorry. Umm this area is awesome. We have so many awesome things we can do! Life as a missionary is the best! I love being able to always feel the spirit! It's needed out here! This week was way great! I loved it! 

     I hope you all have a wonderful week! See you all later :) 

Love from me and Austria!

Elder Rodgers <3

I like sky pictures. So here are my discoveries of the week!

Not a fire, rather awesome sunset!

How pretty is that? Ahh! Gorgeous!

Tapfer Vorwärts!...Week 2 in Wiener Neustadt

     Well I have now been in this Austrian Home of mine for 10 days. I'm getting used to life here. Things are so much more expensive here. Its amazing... lol. But I'm used to it. Well time goes by too fast that's for sure, too fast. The time here is going too fast. The seasons change. The wind keeps blowing and the sun is still shining. Like it's the same weather as when I came into the mission. That's awful! I'm not old enough! Life on a mission is the coolest. Really. Miracles everyday. Blows my mind. It does! When you take the time to realize what Heavenly Father puts in your path... you start to see miracles. AH! Mind Blown!

     I was reading in the scriptures this week and I had the sickest phrase come into my mind......

                    FAITH IS ALWAYS POINTED TOWARD THE FUTURE

     Now I don't know if this was like a quote by some awesome general authority or what. Or maybe I had the coolest revelation and awesome words came into my head. Nevertheless that phrase went so so so good with what I was reading and totally set my focus in for the transfer and maybe even my time here in Wiener Neustadt! Life - think about that... So cool! Ah! So like... Awesome! 

     Going with that in mind I have to relate to the past in order to have content in this email... but I have faith that this will help someone in the future! 

     Well, this week we did a ton of service! Service is the best! AHHH! OK we like worked and lifted so much stuff. It was awesome. My favourite was at one members house when we helped him replace a huge window! And we became relatively good friends I'd say! Turns out.. he and his wife are huge mountain maniacs! They climb and hike and do the exact same stuff as me! So we bonded! We are going to be able to go hiking together in the coming weeks! Awesome eh! I love members! 

     We also taught a few lessons too. I'm teaching more here and learning a ton from it! There are a lot of people from Nigeria who are here and we teach about half in English too! haha its weird! I can't say certain things in English any more. it only works in German! ahh! But we have some awesome people! And hopefully within the next month we will have a baptism too! Almost got a date! Its great :)

     Friday for me was my most awesome day. We went to Vienna for Interviews with President! We had district meeting at the same time with Sister Miles and then interviews during that. I love president and Sister Miles! My interview was awesome! I learned so much about myself. I learned that I relate to Nephi in many ways. Not in the way that im like strong and huge and way sick... lol too bad... but in the way that he writes about in 2 Nephi 4. It's like verses 17-30 or so. He like has all these feelings of not being good or worthy enough and all that but realizes that his trust is in the Lord and that is his strength. I totally related as president read that to me. It was just like an awesome connection. I know my trust is in the Lord and that in having that connection all my feelings of inadequacy can be overcome and whatnot. For me it was like a huge.. BOOM! haha way awesome! 

     We had lots of stuff to learn in Vienna and it was really just a great time! I am learning so much about myself now. I've learned so many things thus far on my mission! Always pushing forward and focusing on my potential or the potential of others is totally the way to do it. This was a great week for me! I learned a ton. Overall about everything. 

I talked a lot about me.. lol. I just really had a great week! I love being a missionary!

Thanks for all the support from all the people I know :) It really means the world to me :) Love you all!

Liebe Grüße von Österreich,

Elder Rodgers :)

I made some awesome egg breakfast thing! So awesome! haha 

thanks to Sister Williams who sent me the idea!

Picture of Schneeberg!

Wonderful clouds and sky!

We be up in Österreich Baby!....Week 1 in Wiener Neustadt

     Well I be up in Österreich... maybe you aren't. No, but maybe someday! I hope so. Everyone needs to come visit this place! Its a gooder that's for sure! OK well I'll go through my lovely week which was so so so long! but to start I'd like to point out a little bit about Austria. Its not Germany! Ha took me a bit to figure that out! But I think I got it now! And I live in Wiener Neustadt! It is said like...... veen-er.. noy-shh-tat...lol Neustadt means new city lol. Its a cool place! Got some awesome people here!!!

MONDAY- We had pday. We were also over at a members for supper! It was awesome! Good day!

TUESDAY- Zone training in Stuttgart! Oh man Stuttgart! yeah. I got my package for my birthday. Holy macanolie! Are you serious! Thank you to all those who had some part of that! I was blown away! It was so so so awesome! I loved that so much! Isn't my mom the greatest? Ah so cool! Thanks!

WEDNESDAY- Sad day. I had to pack. AHHHH! But surprisingly I got it all in there and it all fit! I'm a boss packer! It was sad. We also went out and contacted a few people and I said a few goodbyes to people! 

THURSDAY- Well here was the day. LOOONG day! here we go....

9:12 Train from Ellwangen to Aalen... No problems!

9:35 Train from Aalen to Stuttgart... No problems!

11:12 Train from Stuttgart to Munich... Problems! So this train was 20 minutes late.. and our layover in Munich was 27 minutes. We had a huuuuge run with all our bags to get to the next train. It was hot and hard! haha. The train we took was an ICE and suuuper nice! But still late... lol we barely made the next train!

1:55pm Train from Munich to Salzburg... No Problems! I was in Salzburg! Holy mac what a beautiful city! That is a gorgeous place! I loved the ride through too bad it was really short cuz the walls or the train station started early lol

4:05pm Train from Salzburg to Vienna... No problems! dude this train was a rail-jet! Holy what a nice and wayyy fast train. By this time I was exhausted and tired of trains. It went too fast to get any real good pics and we didn't take the 'Scenic Route' either lol. But a good ride!

6:30pm or something like that, Train from Vienna to Wiener Neustadt! I'm home! Got here at like 7:45pm. We had some crazy trains from Vienna to here. But I got here. 

That was that! Lots of travel. Got boring... lol. I enjoyed seeing mountains though! Super cool! 

     Then the rest of the week was yeah. We taught a lesson on Friday. Had a sport night at the church. then Saturday we helped some people move for 3 hours then did weekly planning and then watched conference! Sunday the same... conference! A lot of it! haha and then we are here! Wow. 

     I'm getting settled in well! Getting the hang of it. Gotta learn the members here and the area too! Then we will start to see things happen! We have a good amount of people to work with and we will really get things going soon! Ahh im way excited! 

     And I work with Elder Stephen Smith from Clearfield, Utah. He is a boss with like amazing German! We are gonna have a party here! It's good be an awesome time! Get ready for miracles! Cuz they are bound to happen!

     Conference was so cool eh? So SICK!

     I learned a ton! It was way awesome! Ah too cool! Life is the best! I need to learn how to speak like an Austrian! haha Its like going on vacation to Australia! That's how the dialect compares! So sick! haha I love it! Well the time is by now. I must leave. I love you all. Especially you! lol see what I did there? 

Love you!

Elder Rodgers.. The German made Austrian!

Elder Geilman!

 Elder Packer

. Elder Spencer

I look funny I think. I got a haircut the night before lol…Leaving the boyz!

Leaving  My home of Ellwangen!

Ran into my Canadian counterpart Elder Oviatt who is looking as good as ever!

Mountains! As we ride!

from the window of my new apartment!