Boundin'

 Howdy!

I hope that everyone is having a great Memorial Day! This week has been an adventure filled with lots and lots of bike jobs. We have been all over the mission, and it has been fun to be able to make lots of quick roadside stops to see something cool about Cincinnati. One of the most fun things that happened this week was that I was able to race Brother Maddy in the ward. I gave him a two-minute and fifteen-second head start, but I still passed him at the start of the fourth lap. I wanted to break five minutes for my mile, and I ran a 4:57 so I was happy about that, but I think I paced myself too hard, and that if I go into it trying to break 4:50 I can, so I'm excited to try again in a couple weeks. (Proverbs 23:7 is facts)

The most annoying thing that happened this week was that we had to get an update to our phones. It was not a fun experience. Part of the process was that we had to factory reset our phones. I thought I had followed the instructions for how to back up all my photos, but apparently, I missed a step because all of my pictures got deleted, and when I tried to back them up from Google photos after the reset none of them were there. That was a bit of an annoyance to me, but it made me glad that I send so many pictures in my weekly emails because at least some of them aren't lost forever. 

The mask mandate for the state of Ohio ends on Wednesday, June 2 and we are all excited about the new rules. We will now be able to knock on someone's door if we already have a contact for them, we can take off our masks if our friends are comfortable with it, we can talk to people while we walk down the street, we are allowed to do any service as long as we can do it with our proselyting clothes on, and we will now be able to eat with members as long as someone is there who is either not a member or is less active! Yay! 

The greatest experience of this week came Friday. We were out walking with our friend Jim, and he told us he was sad because he had lost his really nice football. I had a feeling I should ask him if he had prayed to be able to find it, and he said no and he felt like God was just laughing at him. I had a split second of doubt about saying a prayer to find it because I knew if we didn't find it after we prayed Jim's already struggling faith would be squashed. I followed up on my feeling and told him if we prayed God would help us find it. We said a prayer and started looking. He left to go to the bathroom and the whole time I was praying hard that we could find this football. He came back and right as he walked back up to us, we still hadn't found it, but I did an eye sweep of the area, and my eye caught hold of the football right in the middle of a place we had already thoroughly searched. I was nervous to look away because I thought if I blinked it would disappear again. We grabbed it, and I told Jim we needed to say another prayer of thanks to God. He said the sweetest prayer and said that he took it as a sign that he needed to start meeting with us more. I was very glad that I had acted on the prompting that I had received. 

God is real! He is willing and waiting to answer our prayers, we just need to ask Him in faith! Have a great week!

Keep striving everybody!

Elder Rogers

A couple we are teaching from Gauna

The Cincinnati skyline (from left to right you can see The Bengals' stadium, the suspension bridge, the Reds' stadium, and the Great American building)

Me on top of the Middletown Mound

Elder Brinton and I on top

 Elder Brinton in front

Me in front of the Middletown Mound

"People Down Here Think I'm Crazy But I Don't Care"

 Howdy!

This has been quite the week! We had the transfer call on Friday night, and Elder Brinton and I are staying together. Our district is staying mostly the same, except the Sisters' area is getting closed so our district has become the brOCM - 3 sets of Elders. 

The highlight of the week was probably on Tuesday when we had interviews with President and Sister Ensign. I had a great time talking with them, and when my interview with President was over President stood up, opened his arms, and HUGGED ME. We aren't even allowed to shake hands, and he just gave me a hug. I didn't know what to do with myself so I hugged him back. I've never had that happen before, but it made me feel like a legend. 

Someone in our ward died this week, and we were able to help out with the funeral. He was a really good guy, and so it was sad to see him go, but he had wanted to die for a while. I was happy to be able to help out the Relief Society President and the family. They gave us a whole pan of cheesy potatoes in return which made me happy because I haven't been able to have any since I left home. 

There's a member in our ward who's wanted to race me for a while, and it's actually going to happen Wednesday night, so that should be fun. I've been able to get Elder Brinton to let me run more lately. We go to a park that's a half-mile around, and I run while he walks/ jogs. He's getting a lot better and starting to enjoy it. I'm a proud trainer. 

The Lord's hand is in our lives every day! I'm so grateful for the blessing I have to be able to study the Book of Mormon so extensively each day! It testifies of the Savior, and it is true! 

Have a great week! Keep striving!

Elder Rogers

Me with a little frog we caught

By the Jungle Jim's bathrooms

Us by the King's Island sign

Me Being Weird

Our District

We made some really good biscuits and gravy

Yay for Jersey Mikes

This Ain't Golf

 Howdy!

This has been a crazy week! Probably the weirdest thing that happened was the Skather's scandal. We got a text from a random number with an Arizona area code saying hello. We didn't have the number in any of our records - our area book of member tools for the stake. We asked who they were, and they sent us a series of texts that got more and more unnerving. We eventually got him to tell us that his name was "Bro. Skathers", and we tried to tell him that he had the wrong set of Elders, but he wouldn't take it. He just kept telling us to come over for his famous 8 bean casserole. We didn't know what to do, because he wasn't listening and he had the wrong guy. Then he sent us his address, which was just outside of our area, but still in our district, and said to come as soon as possible because the food was getting cold.  He then said our names, which really confused us, because we knew he was trying to talk to us. We called his number to try and find out more information, but it was a deadline. That made us a little nervous, but he was promising us the famous 8 bean casserole, so we decided we could stop by. We asked him to meet us outside, and nothing happened, so we go to the door with our water bottles in case we needed weapons, and some really nice lady answered. She said that no Skathers lived there and that she didn't know any. We tried to text the number, but we never had any responses. No 8 bean casserole for us, so we assumed somebody was just messing with us. It was a little concerning he knew so much about us though...

The really cool story from this week was my lesson with Brayan. He lives in Honduras and I have been teaching him English and the lessons lately. He is really interested, and it is great to talk with him! My meetings with Brayan have helped me to know how real the gift of tounges is! When we had our lesson on Sunday we were both able to understand each other the whole time! When there were questions he would ask that I didn't understand I would ask him to repeat, and what he meant would just come to me. I know that it was the spirit helping me! I have loved the opportunity to teach Brayan in Spanish! The transfer call is this weekend.  Is there a Spanish area with my nametag on it? Who knows, but I will love wherever I get to serve. Missionary work definitely has its ups and downs, but there is nothing I'd rather be doing than serving the Lord and sharing His gospel here in Cincinnati! 

Have a great week! Keep Striving!

Elder Rogers

Elder Brinton and I

Us with our friend Caleb. (This picture was taken right after his dad tried to bash us for 45 minutes during our lesson)

Exchanges with Elder Ramos

Nothing but net

Me in the rain

I ran an Ohio high for me of 32 miles this week

 I made a game for myself where I make maps and freeway systems - It's fun

Me being weird by the tomb

Us at a tomb replica we found outside a Christian church (The stone is a lifetime table which I thought was funny)

The zone has been doing a dare challenge. Elder Brinton got dared to take a shower in his pros clothes while brushing his teeth with ketchup

Tranquil As A Forrest, But A Fire Within

Howdy!

This week has flown by! The most noteworthy thing that happened this week was zone conference. It was a lot of fun to see everyone! So many of my old companions are in the zone, and it's just great to be able to see everyone. The zone leaders had us build an arch and then had President Ensign ride through the arch on a bike to symbolize what happens when our friends read the Book of Mormon. 

We have a pond near our house, and we have had a fun time trying to catch frogs. We haven't caught any yet, but I want to make a net or something to try and get them. We captured a snake once, but neither of us was brave enough to pick it up. We also like looking at the goslings and ducklings, but we get attacked by the geese whenever we try to get too close to them. 

We started working with all of the prospective missionaries in our ward and it has been great! They have been coming to lessons with us, and have invited a lot of their friends to meet with us as well! The work is moving forward! I have been able to get in my runs, and I'm getting along great with Elder Brinton so everything is awesome! I know that this is the Lord's work! The miracles keep coming! We were trying to find people after a busy day, and nothing was working. We said a prayer before our last call that we would find a family to teach with our last call. We called, and a nice lady answered! We talked to her, and she was willing to listen to our message! We are excited to talk to her again! The Lord answers prayers when we are willing to put in the work!

Have a great week! Keep striving!

Elder Rogers

Our pet bigfoot

Me at the Crocs store I found

Elder Brinton and I outside the Disney Store

Cooking steaks on a George Foreman grill

President and Sister Ensign at ZC

 Me with some cool shades we found at the church

Zone Conference (We are on the back row 2nd and 3rd to the left of the arch)

The big Crocs sign

Elder Brinton and I at Texas Roadhouse

But You Have Heard Of Me

 Howdy!

This week has gone by pretty quickly! We prayed for a miracle for finding this week, and we saw some pretty cool things! We called a lady, and she sent us a text asking who we were. After we told her she gave us a call. She said she was glad we called and that she prays for us every day, and she asked us to pray for her. We asked if we could read a verse from the scriptures with her, and she liked the verse so much that it gave her chills and she asked us to read it to her again so she could write it down! We have a meeting with her this week that we are really excited about! 

Another one of the good things this week was that we got to go to a care center to visit a member of the ward! I was really sad because we still aren't allowed to give blessings, but it was fun to be there. I did have to give myself a covid test though. He said I was a good interviewer and that I should go on the news because I asked him a lot of questions. I also had the job of a mover recommended to me this week. 

This week I took Elder Brinton to Gold Star because he hadn't tried it yet. The first time I had Gold Star I thought it was pretty similar to Skyline, but this time I found out for myself that Skyline is WAY better. Gold Star is way too thick and salty. It's just not as good. Unfortunately, Elder Brinton prefers Gold Star. I told him we could still be friends. I also got to go to Batesville, Indiana for a bike job. Indiana is so cool. I would live there.

Anyway, I know God lives, and I know that He loves each of us! The Book of Mormon is the word of God and truly testifies of Jesus Christ!

Have a great week! Keep Striving!

Elder Rogers

My friend Adam from Lawrenceburg who baptized his daughter this week!

Me By A Creek 

Us With Gold Star 

 New Missionary Training (We are on the far right on the front row)

 Me With Blossoms Outside Our Door Holding a slice of Pizza

Communism

Me On A Walk