Wunderbares Licht!....Week 9 in Rosenheim

Good morning Star-shine! The earth says HELLO! You are all shining in my eyes :) Although I cant really see you... Lets assume for the moment! So I was about ready to give up and die this week because it got up to like 34°C... I couldn't really even get out of my bed... I was sweating from eating cereal. Any effort was in vain! But alas... Today it is raining :) And that means its cooler! I honestly almost jumped in a lake this week. Its a struggle. ENDURE TO THE END! But I'm holdin' strong!... With the help of the sickest companion ever! Who by the way has a wonderful girl who is going to CANADA on her mission! YESS! Thats fulfilling all righteousness if I do say so myself. They get home within a month of each other... #truelove I just love good stories like that! Getter done!

Moving on to the week of a missionary. Ha. MY WEEK! Cuz like.. I'm a missionary. OK! There was a quote that came to my mind this week. Something I've thought often about. Me and dad saw it in Waterton once and I've loved it ever since. It is...

ENLIGHTENMENT BEGINS WHERE THE TRAIL ENDS

I love that so much. I've recognized that much in my life, especially before my mission. I always would go up to the mountains to think and to really get ideas. I read this week in 1st Nephi 17:7 and like... Elder Johnson pointed out that this was just like me... it reads...."And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been in the land of Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying: Arise, and get thee into the mountain. And it came to pass that I arose and went up into the mountain, and cried unto the Lord."

He even wrote my name in his scriptures beside this. But I think its definitely true. For me the mountains are a place where I can really be brought into deep thought. All my good stories and thoughts have come from experiences there. Maybe that's why I'm off to Waterton for the first 2 weeks of being home. Nevertheless... Back to the quote. The concept of it.. is getting away from the "NORM" and getting out and experiencing new things. That's when learning kicks in. I love that, and I've really seen so often... how much enlightenment I really get when I get on the trail and off the pavement.

This thought leads to a story from the week.. namely... WE WENT HIKING!! YESS! So it was like a ward type activity. We went with members from the ward and headed up into the Alps again :) Oh how my joy was full! I have some epic pictures too... but the darn computers at the church still arent workin! I got a good burn on my neck though! Which is peeling now too! haha oh well. I'm gonna have the greasiest tan! #missionarytanlines

That hike was so gorgeous! You could see out over a gorgeous valley into the biggest of the Austrians Alps. SO SICK!

Jetzt, teile ich etwas, was die Missionsarbeit betrifft!

So we actually had a couple appointments that didn't go through because of sickness... but what can you do. But a couple awesome appointments too! We met with this boy in the Hospital again. What a humbling situation. Its so good being there though. We had a great talk and its really good for me to be there. I learn.

I got to cook again, made a nice lil chicken salad :) It was super delicious! I'm learning a ton, and I had a great pic of something I made at home too... but no camera.. sorry! NEXT WEEK! I'm putting all this cooking into practice! SICK!

Well on Sunday a wonderful couple from Australia came to visit :) So I got to translate again! YESS! Being fast and testimony meeting as well and they felt like they should go up so I went up and did a spot on spot translation at the stand. That was cool! I really love translating! Its so much fun!

All in all im so pleased with life! My weeks are going well, better and better! All is well! I love being here and im so glad to have the sickest comp! We push each other and we are going upward! I love my mission!

Have a wonderful week! Let your smiles shine! YAY!!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!

Elder Rodgers <3

No pictures from Tanner but a few pictures of his cooking lesson were sent to me from his friend Zvonimir.