Monday, December 23, 2013

Weekly update 12-23-2013


Hey There!
So my subject to this email "Big Week" has a couple meanings. This last week has been a pretty big one and also, this coming week will be a big one! Lets start with this week...
It was great!! We taught a lot and just had some pretty cool experiences. Most of which happened on Saturday. So.. Sister Batty and I teach every Saturday morning at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility AKA DA PRISON. We teach five prisoners, members and nonmembers, all males though. It's pretty tight to be honest. We always have someone there with us though, so don't worry mom. ALso, I only had to go through the metal detector twice my first time visiting.. so that was a plus! Anyways.. this week we taught them the restoration and it was solid! The guys are way cool! So on our way back home from the prison we drove by an apartment complex that one of our potential investigators lives at. We were planning to go see her later that day but Sister Batty and I just decided that since we were in the area we would just stop then. We went and no one was home. But as we were walking back to the car I stoppped because I heard a baby crying. I look over and in a parked car in a car seat there was a baby just screaming. Let me remind you that it was about 10 degrees outside. This child was frigid. So we looked around and didnt see anyone near so we went and knocked on the apartment a few times that the car the kid was in was parked in front of. After knocking for a few minutes no one answered.... So we werent just going to leave a baby crying in a car in the freezing cold! So, I called the cops. First time dialing 9-1-1... of course it happens in Fort Dodge. haha The cop came and started looking in the car and the all of the sudden a lady comes out of the apartment we had JUST knocked on a few minutes ago. She comes out and asks what is going on.. we told her we heard the baby crying and she acted quite surprised to see her child in the car. She hurried and grabbed the carseat out of the car and then thanked us. The baby looked like he had been in there for a while. Poor guy... he honestly could have died. The cop talked to us for a few seconds and then went to talk to the lady that left her child in the car. We left the scene just thanking God that He led us to that place at that time. If we wouldn't have been there that baby could have froze to death. We were both just very thankful that we were worthy of the Gift of The Holy Ghost that led us to the right place at the right time. It was a very humbling experience.
 
Later that night, Sister Batty and I went to visit a less active lady. She's way cool. She has tats all up her arms, is a dang good singer, and has a sweet motorcycle. haha Anyways, before we left her house she gave us a present for Christmas... guess what it was? PEPPER SPRAY! It was sweet! It even has a cute little case and everything! I'll show you when we skype:)
 
Everything else went really great this week. We are working hard and staying warm. Yesterdayin cchurch, Hermana eggett, sang "Come Thou Fount" Accapella... dang that girl has pipes. It was seriously one of the most incredible things Ive heard. That sister just continues to amaze me. She is incredible and I definitely look up to her.
 
This next coming week is the BIG because... 1) I GET TO SEE YOU ALL ON WEDNESDAY! 2) because its the last week in December, which means... the last week to reach 550! God works miracles, I know it can happen!!
 
I am so excited to talk to you all on wednesday. I love you very much. I know more than ever that Jesus Christ is my Savior. His Atonement is central to the gospel. Without Him, we cannot accomplish anything worth value. I know this because of experience and because the spirit of the Lord which consumes me. I love you all and I promise you in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, that this work is true and His love is unfailing.
 
Merry Christmas to everyone!Hope the Spirit of Christ dwells within all of us this special season!
Love, Sister Halee Rogers

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Weekly update 12-17-2013



Halee saw some of her favorite Sisters & Elders at Zone Conference this week.
Elder Cleverly

Hermana Stroud

Sister Batty (her current companion)

Sister Jensen (Mission President's wife)

Sister Tobias & Sister England, her Sister Training Missionaries.

Elder Tall

Chillin with her scriptures!


Hey Family!
It's been another great week here in Ft. Dodge. Cold... but good. We got a new investigator this week... her name is summer. We met her knocking doors one night. She was definitely a tender mercy. She has accepted a lot of what we have taught and is currently working on not smoking! We also had zone conference this week! It was really great! I saw a lot of people there that I knew and it was really inspiring to to hear from President and Sister Jensen. We watched this movie called, "Ephraim's Rescue"... Man, it was really really good!! I cried a lot, but the spirit was way strong. It was a real testimony to me of what faith is.
We worked really hard this week and I am just totally exhausted, but its been really good. It was in the negatives this week, so it got pretty chilly, but I'm still alive! haha
There's not a lot new, that has happened so it's a pretty short update.
But I guess, I'll take this time to bear my testimony. I know that God is our Eternal Father in Heaven. I know He loves us very much, more than we can comprehend, and I know this plan of happiness He has created is tipping in our favor to return to Him. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and He was sent here to save us from our fallen state. I know that He was born in Bethlehem to a mortal mother Mary and an immortal father in heaven. There is no greater peace that is brought to my soul than the peace I feel when I partake of Christ's infinite Atonement. His love for us in unfailing. I've never been more happy in my life than I am when I help others to come and feel of this same love.
 
I hope you all have a great Christmas. Remember what it is about.
 
I love you!
Sister Halee Rogers

Monday, December 9, 2013

Weekly Update 12-9-13



She found a little piece of home!

Casey's baptism!

Yes it's COLD in Fort Dodge!

Elder Sanders will leve to go home this transfer.  He's been a great Elder!

Elder Belliston & Halee practicing for their musical number for Zone Conference!


Mother Dearest as well as the rest of my beautiful family!!
This week was SO GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Casey Parmalee was baptized on Thursday! It was awesome... we had a few malfunctions but everything worked out! So the baptism was at 7pm on thursday so Sister Batty and I went at about 5pm to fill the font so it would be nice and warm! We turned it on and plugged it and left and then came back at about 6:30... the font was supposed to take an hour and a half to fill.... when we got back to the church it wasn't even CLOSE to being filled.. and the water temp. was at about 120 degrees!!! We were freaking out a little. So we started filling up pitchers of cold water and pouring them in the font so we were able to cool it off. But the font still wasnt filling up! So we went on with the baptism anyways... Needless to say that Casey had to get baptized three times in order to be fully immersed because the water level was at her knees (not lying)... her back basically touched the bottom of the font when she went down. I'm not sure how they got it done but they did! It was miraculous. We later came to find out that a little bit of the string that was connected to the plug in the font was wrapped sneakily under the plug causing some of the water to drain!! It was nuts... but it all worked out and the service turned out great! One baptism closer to 550!!!
So that was some good stuff on thursday! On Friday, we had Zone Training Meeting! It was way way good! I learned a lot! The Assistants had a really good training as well as the zone leaders and sister training leaders! the meeting was about 3 and a half hours long but it was so good! And I cant remember if I told you last week but this coming week we have zone conference and each district is either doing a play or a musical number. Our district is doing a musical number. Elder belliston and I are playing an arrangment of Silent Night on the guitars and everyone else is singing! It's super tight and we got to practice that on Friday and it sounds way sweet! I guess you could call it angelic! haha just kidding!
We also got to attend a really fun White Elelphant gift party on Saturday for the ward! It was way fun! Then we had church yesterday and it was awesome as usual! Then we got to watch the Christmas Devotional last night. It was way good! I love Christmas time!!! Everyone is so nice!!!
So... we are currently at 461 baptisms as a mission and our goal is 550. WE CAN DO IT!!!! I know the Lord is going to bless us if we just work hard and keep our covenants!! Please keep praying for us! I love you all so much! Can't wat to see you...16 days!!!!!
I know this church is true... if you ever struggle get back to the basics! PRAY,  READY AND GO TO CHURCH!!! LOVE YOU!
Sister Halee Rogers

Weekly update 12-2-13


Alrighty Fam!
Hey yall! How was everyones thanksgivings??? I hope it was great!! Mine was... I had 3! Needless to say my appetite is WAY higher then it needs to be!!! haha so I have to repent and make sure I am keeping the Word of Wisdom and not eating too much this week. But man, the food was all SO DANG GOOD! haha
This week was pretty slow since a lot of people were out of town. We were supposed to have a baptism last Saturday(2 days ago) but there were some issues we had to work out, so hopefully Skie will still get baptized before the end of the year. We are are going to do all we can to HELP her get there. She is really prepared just has trouble being completely obedient. With the help of the spirit though, we will be able to discern her needs and re set her date this week. This week on Thursday we have a baptism!!!! Casey is getting baptized and man is she ready! She is so excited! She passed her interview on Wednesday and even went out and bought a skirt for the occassion! She is so excited and very ready. You can just see the joy radiating from her! She has also had a huge desire to share the gospel. She has done so with her mom, and now her mom is a newe investigator! It is way cool to see how much of an example Casey is becoming to everyone around her.
So this week, I got to wear jeans more than I have my entire mission! We did a lot of service! It was sweet and way nice to do some manual labor for a little while. We worked with a lot of lessactives and members this week. For the upcoming zone conference each district has to do a skit or musical number so our district is doing a musical number. Myself and the two zone leaders are working out a sweet arrangment to silent night on the guitar. Its going to be awesome! And it gives me the chance to play! I LOVE IT! haha
Everything is going so great. Sister Batty and I have grown a lot closer this past week, its been great and she is really opening up now. It's been way good.
Welp family, sorry this is so short... but I love you and I know that the gospel is true!!! It really is!
Also... the book is blue!
LOVE YOU!
Sister Halee Rogers