Aggressive Teeth Brushing Violation

 Howdy!

This was a pretty great week! No crazy stories, it was just a pretty solid week. Elder Brooks and I have been having a lot of fun together, and have been working hard to help the ward. We are working with a nine-year-old in a less active family named Trisha who is getting baptized on April 3, so we have been helping her a lot to make sure that she is ready. 

 

We had a lot of fun going on lots of runs this week - including a couple trail runs. We ran 32 miles, and we averaged about 7:30 pace. I miss going for long runs, but I'm really grateful that Elder Brooks will run with me. We had a lot of weird weather this week, and we kept getting woken up by really loud thunder. Elder Brooks has been worried we'll have a tornado. I think it would be cool to see a tornado, but it would probably get in the way of things. Elder Brooks agreed to be a victim of my haircutting, and I think his hair looks super good. Maybe one of these days I'll be able to give someone a haircut without leaving them with patches of baldness on their head... 

We had interviews with President this week which are always a blast, and we have been blessed to see some exciting progress in our area! The work of the Lord is real! Have a great week! Keep striving!

Elder Rogers

Us by a pretty bush (It started dumping rain right when we got there to take the picture)

Us eating at the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate my six months
 (It was really good, but pricy. You can make a really good chicken and broccoli alfredo for like $4.25. It might not be quite as good, but you feel way better inside knowing you are thrifty)

After I gave Elder Brooks a haircut

Sometimes I just creep behind Elder Brooks, make a funny face, and tell him to smile for a picture.

Us making pumpkin muffins

Where Did You Go Elder Brooks?

 Howdy,

This week was pretty good! We had a zone conference which was really fun! I feel like since this was my second in-person zone conference I felt more comfortable and so I participated more and got more out of it. Since zone conference was on St. Pattrick's Day, Elder Brooks and I wore matching ties and cool hats. That was really fun. 

One of the things that they talked a lot about at the zone conference was being bold. They said that we are here to declare the restored message of the gospel, not just have feel-good Bible studies. It made me think of our friend Martha, who is old and pretty sick. We have been working with her for a week, and have been hesitant to share the message of the restoration because we didn't want to stress her out, and we didn't know what she could do in her circumstances. After zone conference, we decided we needed to be bold and share the message with her. I gave her a call and we talked for a little bit about why I decided to serve a mission and brought up the Book of Mormon. I asked her what she remembered about it from our previous calls. She said we knew that we used it and that she was very curious, wanted to learn more, and asked us if we could bring her a copy! We told her we would get her a large print one. We are excited to keep talking to her! 

It is amazing that people are more receptive to listen than we realize, we just need to have the courage and faith to open our mouths and share! I know that this is the Lord's work and that when we work, He will work miracles from our efforts! I also know that revelation is real! Our leaders at zone conference talked about exactly what we needed to hear! 

Elder Brooks and I both talk in our sleep, so we decided to put on a voice recorder two nights last week, and listen to what we say in the mornings. It has been quite entertaining. 

Have a great week! Keep Striving! The Lord Jesus Christ lives and loves you! This is His true gospel, and President Russell M. Nelson is His living prophet on the earth!

Elder Tanner Rogers

Frisch's Big Boy Statue (We didn't eat there we just accidentally pulled into the parking lot so we took a picture)

Us cutting off other missionaries

Making faces before our friends join the zoom call

Chipotle (The ultimate hack is when we make our own guac instead of paying 2.25 for theirs)

After a run in the rain that I made Elder Brooks do with me

Our matching hats for St. Patrick's Day

Zone conference (We are on the second row in the middle  - we are wearing our hats)

Build Higher Walls, Build Stronger Beams

 Howdy!

This week really flew by. We said goodbye to Elder Lawrence on Tuesday, and he actually made it to Africa this time! We are glad that he is there, he was very excited to go back.  This week we were focussing a lot on trying to build the trust of members, and a lot of our meetings canceled so we made and delivered lots of cookies which was fun. We have also been running and exploring all of the local trails. There are a lot of fun trails out here! We think with just a little work there could be a mega-awesome trail network.

One of the part member families we have been working with for about a month now gave us a bit of a sad/funny story. Apparently, the sisters reached out over Facebook and set up an in-person lesson with them on Monday (30 minutes after our zoom lesson). We were pretty surprised because they had told us they didn't want to meet in person because of COVID. The sisters were being invited over for a BBQ and were getting sent home with dinner. We got a text from the family yesterday saying that it has been a busy weekend and that they don't think they'll be able to have our meeting on Monday (probably because they will be meeting with the sisters). Anyway, it's sad because we've been meeting with them, giving them cookies, and trying to become friends for about a month, but the sisters send them one message over Facebook and they instantly get farther than we ever did. We are glad that they are still taking steps to come closer to Christ, even if they don't want us to be as involved as the sisters. But come on - white middle-aged Elders are discriminated against I swear. 😂

I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting which was really fun! One of our friends told us that she slept in, but she wants us to read the talk to her as part of the lesson this week which will be awesome! Elder Brooks and I are excited to work really hard this week and do everything we can to help our friends come to church! Any prayers for our friends would be greatly appreciated!

Lastly, Great Value frozen supreme pizzas are only $2.78. It may not be DiGiorno quality, but I'd say it's definitely worth a try!

I know that Jesus Christ is always aware of us and our situations and what we are going through! He is always there to help us and lift us up! If we will reach out to Him, we will be able to feel joy- regardless of what is happening, or not happening in our lives! I know that it is true! Spend time in the scriptures! It will change your life - I know it has changed mine!

Keep striving - True grit and faith in God brings true success

Elder Tanner Rogers

 Elder Brooks organizing some of the cookies (this is a little less than half)

A woolly worm we found on our apartment!!

The ducks that now guard my hair clippers

Me trying to take a selfie 🤦‍♂️

Us after conquering the Mauds Hughs Incline

Me jumping into the love sack at the Websters' house (They are a solid family - I hope to be like them someday!)

My onion and celery omelet

Us by an elk statue (You can tell I'm starting to put on pounds in this picture 😳)

Hakuna Matata... It's Time For Africa

 Howdy!

Wow!  What a week and a crazy series of events. This week on Friday around 7pm we got a call from our mission president saying that we would be receiving a new missionary, Elder Lawrence. We would need to be at the airport to pick him up in an hour. We hurriedly straightened up the apartment, put together his bed, and headed to the airport. Elder Lawrence was originally assigned to Kenya, sent home due to covid, and was reassigned to the OCM. On Friday morning he left to go back to Africa but only made it to Atlanta, where his flights were delayed so much that he wouldn't make his connecting flight in Amsterdam and so missionary travel shipped him back to Ohio. President put him with us because we were closer to the airport than the area he was in, and we weren't sure how long he would be here before he headed out again. He landed in Ohio at 9:15 Friday night, but his luggage didn't make it with him. We went and talked to the luggage people, and they said it had flown to Amsterdam, leaving Elder Lawrence with nothing but his scriptures and the clothes on his back. We made a trip to Walmart around 10:30 to get him some pajamas and sheets so that he could sleep, and luckily for him, his luggage came Saturday afternoon. Fast forward to today, and we got a call from the mission office saying that he will be flying out tomorrow, and so we had to get covid tests and everything else ready ASAP. We did some searching and were able to find somewhere who could give a covid test, and get us results in time for him to leave tomorrow. So hopefully when we say goodbye to him tomorrow he'll actually be able to make it to Africa. 

Other than that it was a pretty normal week. It has definitely been an adventure. We've had some very exciting lessons and I have loved being here! I love all of the people that we are working with! They are so amazing! We have continued to see miracles out here! Being a missionary is the greatest thing ever! I have loved seeing that no matter what the challenges that we face in life, looking to Jesus Christ and making Him our focus is the solution. He will help us bear our burdens with ease, joy, and patience! (Mosiah 24: 12-16 - one of the most fuego sections in the Book of Mormon)

Have a great week!

Keep Striving!

Elder Rogers

The three of us by the Kings Island Sign

Me by the Kings Island Sign

 Elder Brooks and I when somebody didn't answer the zoom call. ( When nobody answers we wait five minutes and make funny faces to ourselves, but I stopped to take the picture)

Let's Take A Ride

 Howdy

This was a pretty great week! Elder Brooks and I have been having a lot of fun working together! We found out we will be staying together in Liberty Township for this transfer, which surprised Elder Brooks, but not me. I have started to love it here. We are in a car share, so we biked all week. We usually bike 17- 26 miles a day, which is really fun! Sunday morning it was raining really hard, but we needed to get to church, and so we had an awesome time riding in the rain. We showed up soaking wet and muddy from our bikes flipping up the dirt. We went into the janitorial closet and grabbed all the paper towels we could to try and get the mud off, but we still looked pretty ragged. RIP our suits. I feel like such a legend biking around as a missionary. It's one of the most fun things ever!  I feel like we have been blessed with lots of miracles because we are willing to sacrifice energy by biking around.

One day this week we were really tired after a long day, but we still had some finding time. I wanted to try and message people over messenger because it takes less energy, but I had a strong prompting I needed to make phone calls. So I grabbed a straw (😉) picked up my phone and got to work. The first lady that we called answered. I asked her if there was anybody she knew in need of prayers. She was on the brink of tears and said that she was on the way home from her aunt's funeral and that she and her family were really struggling. I shared a comforting scripture from the Bible and asked if she believed in God and Jesus Christ. She said she has, but was having lots of doubts. She asked what church we were from and when we told her she said that she had known members before who were the best people ever. She said she wanted that spirit in her life, is excited to start meeting with us. I am so grateful that I listened to my prompting and made phone calls even though I was tired so that I could help her.  I am even more grateful for the members who lived the gospel of Jesus Christ and set a good example for her. When we let the light of Christ shine through us, we leave an impact on the lives of others, even if we don't always see the results immediately. The Lord is in this work. Being a missionary is the most amazing thing, I am so blessed to be able to have a part in it. I love serving my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know He lives. 

Have a great week! Hold up your light (3 Nephi 18:24), and keep striving!

Elder Rogers

 Me biking

Us with the sushi we made (Elder Brooks is originally assigned to Japan and he likes cooking so we made sushi)

Us biking by a cool field

When we got home from church on Sunday (It didn't rain on the way home)

Mega pancake