Liebe und Lächeln ist ansteckend.....Week 28 in Wiener Neustadt

I sit at this chair weekly, stare at a blank screen for a few minutes and decide what word I will use to start this email. Maybe when I'm feeling spunky, I'll even venture off to think of the first sentence. Have you taken the time to notice that my first paragraphs usually have nothing to do with my week? It's because I learned in school that the first paragraph needs to really draw the readers attention in and by writing in a relatively mysterious and odd tone... I hope to be capturing your attention. Is it working? Read further... I dare you <3

Can one become addicted to writing emails home? I love writing to you. It makes me smile. Smiles all around. I want to make the world smile. How to do this? Not too sure yet. I have a general idea. It starts one by one. I make Elder Durrant smile.. that's one person less on my to do list. I give a Sister a compliment on her finding technique... 2 down. Then I call a member and say an extra thanks for the meal they provided...3 down. And then hopefully you read this... and boom my list just got smaller again. Try it. Go make someone smile. And see that if in doing so, you don't smile too :) Because smiles are contagious!

Love. I haven't had a good paragraph on love for a while. Love is going to Salzburg, seeing someone that you haven't seen in 6 months and embracing each other like its been at eternity! Or going to Vienna, before we go to Salzburg, and seeing someone you haven't seen for 2 days and embracing them like its been a lifetime apart. Love is also contagious. Share your love today!

Well I gave it away, we went to Salzburg this week. On Saturday. And wow was it ever gorgeous! The sun was shining and smiles were radiating and love was in the air! We spent a long time on trains and in the church. Lots of learning, self made goals and a dedication to be better.

On a side note, we were only 5 minutes away from the main location place thing where 'The Sound of Music' was filmed. Salzburg is a fantastic place. Mountains all around too. I was in love! The train ride home too was real good! We got the 'Harry Potter' train where there is a compartment of 6. Well, the seats fold down into beds... Needless to say Elder Durrant and I put that to use and (sleeping apart from each other...) laid down and enjoyed a 3 hour ride home. That didn't suck...

Well, the work here, in terms of teaching and finding, has been relatively slow. We have been losing people due to illness and people haven't been showing real interest... but we feel like we are now on the up rise. The attitude here is changing and we have a few awesome potentials waiting for the right time and Wiener Neustadt is on the verge of a blow up with work. This area is starting its climb now. I can feel it in the members, in us and in the people here. Staying here for 6? Wouldn't suck...

We will know on the 22nd what happens.

I was in Vienna again this week working with the beast of beasts... Elder Worthen. That man knows how to get er done. We had a stellar time together. He is a person that everyone can get along with. And then some. We work well together, and we tore it up in Vienna. Life is really good. Like.. consider ... I just contacted people in Vienna. I have friends who live in Vienna. Uh... Awesome? YES!

Well my beloved family and friends, I bid thee farewell for another week. I hope you take the time to dive into the scriptures this week. I encourage you all to go over conference again and to really apply that what you learned. Pick one thing and go step by step for 'By small and simple things are great things brought to pass'. Make a change for the better this week. Go forward in Faith!

I love you all <3

Elder Rodgers <3