Selbstvertrauen, Mut und Entscheidungen.....Week 5 in Klagenfurt

     Ich begrüße euch herzlich! ( I cordially greet you) What a wonderful season to be a missionary eh? Christmas is the best... for so many reasons! So many! Christ.... totally the biggest part! As a missionary I'm keen to point that out! Although its harder in German cuz Christmas is Weihnachten. But still, people here are way into that kind of thing... just not from us. But were improving that daily! Then... Mas... in Spanish I believe it means 'more'... meaning that... we want.... CHRIST-MORE! See what I did there? To be honest I came up with that one off the top of my head too. Not even in my planned thoughts! Man I'm getting wiser as the days go on. Na Servus! 

     This week is titled... Self Confidence, Courage and Choices. We finally got our Conference Edition Liahona this week so I was able to read some talks. The 4 that I read all went along these themes. First the talk by Elder Jörg Klebingat, then by Elder Lynn Robbins, then by Elder Quentin Cook and also President Uchtdorf! All of these talks struck me a ton when they were given, therefore they were the first ones that I returned to. 

     What strikes me so deeply about them is the way it addresses the power of the individual. I make my choices. I choose. I can be happy. I can be self confident. Its not about relying so heavily on the opinion or choices of others, rather its relying on yourself and on Christ.

I choose whether I have a good attitude

I choose whether to repent

I choose if I want to go to church today

I choose who I will marry

I choose how my attitude toward anothers actions affects me

I choose to forgive

I choose if I will talk to this person about the Gospel

I choose to stand up for my beliefs

I choose to have appropriate thoughts

I choose to exercise faith and trust in the Lord

I choose to say no

I choose to say yes

I choose my future

     Its all about the power of the individual... who receives power from on high.... who can be strengthened through Christ.... who has been given the heavenly ability to choose for himself. Its now just up to us to learn how to make proper and wise choices and how to use our agency to bless our lives and to bless the lives of others. When we start doing this and recognize the power that one can build up through righteous choices, we gain self confidence. We learn that we have worth in the sight of God and that we are capable to act for ourselves. 

     With the increase of self confidence comes an increase of courage. We will be able to withstand more, and say no in harder situations. Courage is strengthened because we know that to please God is always the right choice. I know that because I have had experiences with it. I have been the recipient of promised blessings from the Lord because of my obedience to His laws. I've seen how powerful my decisions can be when I know who I represent and when I know which way I'm facing. 

    This can all come through CHRIST and His Atonement. What a beautiful message to share with the world. How lucky am I to be serving in Austria and to get to share this message of self worth with these people. His power, atonement and grace is sufficient to help every person on this earth. But we choose whether we accept that help. We choose to follow Christ. 

Isnt this Gospel the best ever? So great!

     It's December now. I've been inspired by a story of Invitations. I've been inspired again through Conference. Now I guess I'm the one who chooses what I'll do with this inspired feeling. I hope that I can choose to go out and share it with everyone. I'll choose that right now. 

I wish you all the best start to the Christmas season this year! Make it memorable! Have a great week! I love you all so much :) Thanks for being there for me! You are loved <3

Elder Rodgers <3

The Sound of Music Mansion...

Way Gorgeous clouds below us on the ride to Salzburg...

The Sound of Music Mansion...

a cool cathedral in Salzburg

a cool cathedral in Salzburg

The Christmas market in Salzburg 

the house where the famous songwriter guy MOZART was born :)

Eine große Menge der Liebe....Week 4 in Klagenfurt

     I had a love quote in my head but totally lost it. It was gonna be the best starting line ever. I can't remember though. But I still have a thought to share. Maybe this will help a few people. I've come to learn that LOVE isn't just a one minded thing. I love you.... And thats it. FALSE! Love has its romantic roots and its deep meanings and all that.. but LOVE is also the essence of the Gospel! Love is the greatest of all commandments for loves sake <3 So finally, after months of studying love and all that has to do with it I've learned some things. Love isn't just "Romantic Love", love is like.... An action so to say. A motivation. Charity. You cant love the World in a romantic way... but boy can you ever spread the love all around and around and around and around! Love is so open minded. It is so interesting! 

Love - The Essence of the Gospel........... Well said President Monson

     Moving on.... I would like to make known that I can play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on the Ukulele... A skill acquired from a housemate... Elder Pope! With whom I had the distinct pleasure of working with this week on an exchange. We taught the funniest person ever. He is 89 years old. Claims to have escaped from a prison in Italy like years and years ago. The same guy that fed us crushed up nuts last time... well we got Apple Juice this time! He is hilarious! He offered to take us into Italy and show us around the mountains... Too bad we cant haha

     We actually talked a lot about prophets with him. He isn't gonna join the church, he claims he will die when he is 92 and says that his member sister in the States will do his work for him. Hahahahaha way funny. We left him with a Conference Edition Ensign from last year. He loved it. He is so funny. Always a laugh when we are with him. 

     It didn't even rain a ton this week. It snowed in the mountains though! Heavenly sight!  Tomorrow we get to ride up to Salzburg! EPIC!

     Saturday was cool. I'll tell you one of the benefits of living with Americans..... American Thanksgiving. Yes. And with a senior couple too... you bet on it. We went to a members house and did service for the afternoon and then came together as 17 people and ate a thanksgiving dinner! A little in advance yes, but the family had guests from Finland who were flying back this week so they wanted to have them there for it. It was way great! As a Canadian... on the mission I get 2 Thanksgivings a year! Mine.. and the American one. It doesn't suck ;)

     The service we did this week, I'll attach a few pictures. We laid brick for a driveway. It was cool, a lot of fun to do. I also filled in the already laid stuff with dirt filling kinda stuff. But most of the time I was carrying stones from the stacks, over to the work area. A lot of lifting, but it made me strong!... ok not really. But it was fun!

     I'm struggling on thoughts... We spent a good amount of time of the streets! Going by on people and so forth. We meet some of the coolest, and weirdest people as missionaries. Its just fun. Everyday is a new adventure. Its the funest and most worthwhile thing ever. 

I wish you all a week full of love! Love you all :)

Elder Rodgers <3

Room with a view!

On the streets in Klagenfurt

The view as he walks down the street

His Apartment

The chapel

Thanksgiving Dinner

The view to look at while doing service

service project

view on the way to a city called Villach

Wo die Liebe wohnt :).....Week 3 in Klagenfurt

     Love is all around! I talk about love way too much. But in all honesty it's the biggest part of my week. And is one of the biggest aspects of my life... now and in the future. So I just cant skip out on a chance to talk about love. As the song says... Where Love is.. There God is also! And then we change songs and talk about Love at Home! Well... my home is 4 adults (if we dare classify me as one ) and in our apartment its kind of important that we love each other... haha cuz living with 4 people wouldn't be the easiest if we didn't. And I am glad to report that we have love at home! I love everything about our apartment. The people in it, the set up, the openness and the feel. It's a place where its easy to be comfortable! Thus, allowing the Spirit to be able to dwell there :) Making our home such a sick place! 

     Love at home! If you dont have it.. Work for it! So say the Prophets... so say I.. (Said with love) <3

     OK. Tuesday was cool. We took a train up to Salzburg again! I'm becoming more and more familiar with that city! And it's so gorgeous! What a great place! And the train ride is full of mountains and me taking pics of them all. As I would say... it doesn't suck!

     Plus... we got to see all the other missionaries in our beloved Zone. I love them! Its like a reunion! But we all saw each other 2 weeks ago.. but it seems like forever! But at the same time it feels like yesterday. Wow. Confusing is my life. 

     OK. Epic story time. We taught the Restoration Lesson this week... and it was epic! We were able to discover that the Spirit really does play the biggest role in conversion. We were able to experience the converting power of the Spirit. God answers prayers. That is an eternal truth. I've realized more and more that people simply need help recognizing that. I was lucky enough to be a part of that process this week. Boy does that feel good. You get a testimony through the Spirit... you recognize it... its simply the right thing. Hard to describe it... but you just know and from then on you can't doubt it. Just thinking back to experiences I've had... I could never doubt it. 

I'm a lucky guy

     I got to see another effect of love this week! I was on an exchange. We had really nothing planned. So we made brownies and delivered them! All over. Finding along the way, serving members and friends, there are so many great things about that! Then seeing the happiness others have when they receive things :) Ah its a happiness that could, and likely will, last me a lifetime! Happy happy happy! 

     I gave the lesson in church on Sunday! All about Serving! My favourite point from that was a quote by President Kimball. He said in essence... In most circumstances, we cant serve ourselves, we rely on the service of others. That made me think. If someone out there cant serve themselves... I could be the one to do it! And maybe on the other hand, I may need something, but maybe don't realize it... I need to be "served" per-say in order to obtain that said thing. 

     A German would say ...dienen lassen... which means ... to let yourself be served. That's an essential part. Allowing yourself to be served. Sometimes thats hard, cuz maybe you don't see the reason. But serving and allowing yourself to be served are both 2 important principles I learned yesterday! 

     Then we had the Primary Presentation! So cute! Kids rule! MY week was great, I love this place! That's it for now, I wish you all the best, have a great- love filled week! <3

Love you all!

Elder Rodgers <3

Few mountains along the way up to Salzburg :)

 

 

a member drove us in a bus to church

Walking down the street in Klangenfurt

we live right above the bank! not bad eh?