Die Liebe, die man in den Schriften findet!....Week 8 in Wiener Neustadt

     Missionary work is the best. Hands down the funnest job anyone could ever have. Hard to even call it a job. I don't think jobs are supposed to be this fun. More like the best Opportunity ever. Yeah, that sounds better. 

     I think last week I wrote a lot about Miracles. Well its like the same this week. But more so the fruits of these Miracles. So we were able to teach a solid 6 lessons this week! The most I've ever taught in a week by the way. Two of them were to 2 people who are now new investigators. And 1 is the coolest! OK I will talk about him soon. 

     I felt this week that as a companionship we really had the spirit with us. In everything that we did we were going with the spirit! It was just good! We worked well this week. 

     OK well I really can't find a pattern to this. Like the writing isn't flowing as it sometimes does. So I'll just write about a way cool story. So the name is Mario. I don't like using names but this time I will. So 2 Sundays ago he was brought to church by a friend who is a recent convert. He really seemed to enjoy it here. We set up a lesson on Thursday and then taught him. We started out the lesson pretty bad I'd say. We didn't have a good flow. We were a little shaky but then we got on track. We even committed him to baptism at the end and he said yes. We call it a soft commitment cuz we don't have a date to it. Well the lesson was great and the spirit really testified to all of us. So yesterday in church he came again. After we were talking and he asked a lot about baptism and what the process to that is, like how long it takes before someone can be baptised or what someone needs to do before. So we talked about that and we have another lesson Thursday and will discuss that further, hopefully we will set a date for him! And he is coming to the baptism here on Saturday too! It'll be awesome for him. 

     So we are way excited for that! And then of course the baptism on Saturday! Gonna be awesome. We had a great few lessons this week with him and he definitely got his confirmation that this is the way to go. We had an awesome experience where the Spirit testified deeply to him that he is doing what's right. He is so ready for Saturday! We almost got everything ready. Its gonna be great! Super excited for that. 

     Well what else. We did a lot of service this week too. I'm getting a pretty good tan! Too much sun here. It's like awful! I've lost almost 10 pounds in these last 2 weeks just from eating a little less for meals and doing a little exercise. The sweating while walking just makes us lose weight lol. Its not bad. I weigh less now than I did when I came out on my Mission. Not bad not bad! hahaha

     I'm still reading in German in the Book of Mormon. I'm in Mosiah 28 now. I read 27 this morning. WOW! Read that chapter with the purpose for studying repentance and your mind will be blown from what you learn. And when you are done, read verse 30 of chapter 26 and then you will automatically be so much more thankful for the Atonement of Christ! Life is the best! We have so many blessings and so much goodness in our lives! So many blessings. So much love!

Life really is great! I love it so much! The work goes forward! Always! haha thanks for the love! I love it! 

Love,

Elder Rodgers <3

Lol a little shirt thing I made. My head and the arms belong to 2 other people. 

The bigger one is a girl.. that's why there are bracelets lol. 

Selfies lederhosen! 

Selfies lederhosen! 

And now lederhosen...

Posing lederhosen...

Ok they are so comfy. legit...

Posing lederhosen...

Es gibt so viele Wunder!.....Week 7 in Wiener Neustadt

     Hello family, friends, acquaintances and anyone else who may be reading. I want you to know one simple truth... und zwar... Miracles happen daily. 

     Yes that is true. I have seen it! It's like a test. Count the miracles you find in a day! I've learned that when I try to do that, I am blessed with more. They are never ending. For example.....We were on a train like 4 hours ago. We were sitting there for about 15 minutes waiting for the train to go and just talking to each other. There was a girl sitting across and back a row. So only I could see her, but just barely. I noticed through the reflection of the window that she was looking at us quite often. Well about a minute later she came and sat down right across from us and introduced herself and asked if we were 'The Mormons'. We of course said yes! Well she said she had been looking into new religions and wasn't quite satisfied with hers at the moment. She liked what she had seen about us and so she wanted to know more. She gladly accepted a Book of Mormon and we will be seeing her at church on Sunday and hopefully through this week too. Ah man! She is too cool! Miracles, let me tell you. 

     This week seemed to go by quite slow in comparison to other weeks. We had some great member appointments this week and we saw even more miracles through the members. Which I will gladly explain right now. So Sunday at church we start with Priesthood, go to Sunday School then Sacrament meeting to finish. Well after priesthood we as missionaries got to the Aufbau Class, like an investigator class or where the principals of the gospel get taught. Well a new convert of about a year brought a friend to church! He Introduced him to us and now we will be meeting with him this week on Thursday! It was the coolest!! He is open to learning and trying new things. We feel very strongly about him. All because a member opened her mouth and invited a friend to church. Simple. But a miracle! 

          Members are awesome! 

     So this next week should be awesome! Our bishop has a friend who used to be an investigator who now wants to be baptized too. Hopefully in this next week we will be able to teach some more awesome people and get some solid new investigators. I am super excited for them! Its so cool! 

     On Saturday night we were at the church helping with a stake primary activity. There was a stake priesthood meeting going on at the same time so all the kids 8-12 were with us. We helped with a missionary workshop thing. There were a ton of different stations and we had to help the kids do different missionary things. I was in charge of the Morning Sport station. So we did that with the kids. It was super fun. Missions are the best! Kids understand that too! Ah we had a great time with that! I am so happy! haha it was a blast!

          Life is simply good. I am simply happy. I love it! 

     Oh and 1 more thing. Thursday and Friday it rained like nobodies business! Ha and there was strong wind too. We were outside and in the first 10 mins we were dripping water down our legs and everywhere. Umbrellas being flipped out and just a bunch of laughs. We heard this saying... Do The Hard Thing... in a conference here once. Well I can sure say we did the hard thing. We could of stayed home but we visited Less Actives and Potentials. Ha that was a builder for me and I loved it! haha

P.S...The baptism for Manuel has been moved. Its now on the 31st of May! He is awesome! Ha, 3 weeks earlier! OK that's all!

     The mission is the best! I love it so much! Thanks for the Love! I love you all! Have an awesome love filled week!

Elder Rodgers :)

Ok. Touch screen map! Elders are awestruck from it! haha

Not the best pic, but thats some of the Mall I went to

Pretty Clouds!

The many faces of me.... Duck lips with chips at dinner! 

Me with ham :)   1. Stretching

Me with ham :)    2. Stretching

Me with ham :)

Playing hide and seek :).... with ham

ok the real thing with the ham is that there's a game the sister told us about called 'Ham Slap'. So you hide and then hit people in the face with ham. its awesome. so the other elders slept over the other night so we got em so good! that's why... I have so much ham lol

 Pretty Mountain with snow!!!

in Puchberg am Schneeberg

in Puchberg am Schneeberg

in Puchberg am Schneeberg

Alles Liebe zum Muttertag!....Week 6 in Wiener Neustadt

     Well I am not too sure how it happened but women seemed to be a big part of the week. Everything I read or saw, it was about women. In a good way of course! 

                           Happy Mothers Day Mom! You are the best <3 

     OK we were at a meeting on Tuesday and Elder Gibbons who is so full of wisdom and awesomeness and who finished his mission Thursday said.....     "This is the point in our lives where we realize our parents were right"

     How awesome is that? And not to mention how true that is! I've totally seen how everything I was taught and all the lessons I learned from my parents... They were right! ha Good job Mom and Dad! You were right. Turns out they were right.. I wish I would have done everything they asked or said to to. I would have had a much bigger advantage now. 

     So then I thought about it. Does that likely mean that our Heavenly Father will be right in the end too? I'm willing to bet Yes! So that reinstated the desire in me to follow every commandment and obey with exactness in everything. I may not agree with something or understand why... but in the end.... He will be right. So it would be wise for me to follow eh? Haha life lesson learned! We will get to the end of our lives, die, then realize that our Heavenly father was right. Hmmm. Think about that one eh. So cool! OBEDIENCE!!!

     Lol OK, then I was reading a conference talk from forever ago. It said...   "When you educate a man you educate an individual. When you educate a woman you educate a whole family." Like say whaaaaa? Lol the Apostle has spoken! That made me appreciate my mom more! Thanks mom! (I still love you too dad)!!

     OK.... Well this week was great. We have a baptismal date now! June 21st for Manuel! He is a boss! We are all way excited for that. It's gonna be awesome :) 

     Well let me see. I also learned a great lesson about service. I love service! It may be a little painful being bent over digging in a huge garden for 4 hours but oh man when you come to the end and see the fruits of your labours and see how much you have helped someone else, it just makes me smile! I have learned to love service :) More.. lol

     Well life is fabulous. I love Austria. I love my family. I love my friends. I love you! Life is worth it! Just keep smiling. In the end.. you'll realize why. Have an awesome time! And for all my family and friends going to Belly River... Have the best time ever! Say hi for me!

Love as always,

Elder Rodgers

Elder Gibbons. A boss!

Our Wiener Neustadt group!

Saying bye to Sister Garrett! See all of us through the windows and reflections ... :) 

and a creepy dude in the back left...

Typical Selfe!

Puchberg am Schneeberg... pretty place!

Playing MR. X  it's a fun game!

Palatschinke  Not bad eh?