Email 7-29-13 (Birthday & Nauvoo Pageant)

Halee loved her birthday collage we sent her.  

She said it was her favorite present and has it hanging over her bed!

Sister Wiest, Halee & Sister Murphy celebrating her birthday.  Cute new outfit Sister Rogers!!

Halee was so so happy to meet up with Sister Pratt at the Nauvoo Pageant.

Sister Wiest & Halee got front row seats at the Nauvoo Pageant.  

That is the stage behind them and the Nauvoo Temple between their heads.

(Our family sat in the front row 8 years ago on opening night of the Pageant.) 

Enjoying all the shops around town!

She got a little excited about the guns!

Halee, Sister Wiest & Sister Murphy showing their prairie rings!

Whats up playas!!!!
So hows everyone doing?? A lot has happened this week! Tuesday was my birthdy and it was seriously the best! It started off with one of the sisters in our branch bringing me breakfast! It was so delicious! Then I opened all of your wonderful packages and presents! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH! It was amazing! Everything was so aweome! All the clothes fit and they're so awesome! I epecially loved the Aloha Kitchen you sent! It made my life.  Seriously though, I ate it all in like two days. SO GOOD. But my favorite present was that big poster of everyone! I started crying when I opened it! I miss you guys so much! So that meant a lot to have that. Its now hanging on my wall by my bed! I cant wait to get another one next year! :) Carlee, thanks so much for the locket! I love it! And I have been wearing it ever since I got it! And Pope fam, thanks for the treats! They are the BOMB!

After I opened my presents and got ready, we headed to Nauvoo with the senior couple in our branch, Elder and Sister Templeton, and two less actives. We had a blast going to all the shops and seeing the "high hopes and river boats" show in the visitors center! Sadi, I dont know if you remember her, but Rachel Mccallister is on a performing arts mission in Nauvoo and was in that play. Other cool thing, I ran into one of my seminary teacher Brother Andersen! So that was pretty cool to see him! Later that night we went to the pageant! I got to see Sister Pratt from the MTC!!!! I was so so so happy!!! Shes the best! Man it ws so good to see her and talk to her. She was there proselyting at the pageant that night. But it also just so happens that Elder Dallin H Oaks was in attendence at the pageant that night. Guess who got to meet him??? THIS GIRL! WHUUDUP! it was sweet! He shook my hand and was asking me how the work was going and how the pageant helps the work here. It was so bomb! But dont worry it gets better.... Sister Wiest and I at the pageant got front row seats!!! Thats right. We were literally on the front row.  No one sitting in front of us. Man it was good,. The pageant was so awesome!! After the pageant got over at like 10:15, we had to head back to Mt. Vernon that night. Preident Jensen also made it a rule that we had to stay awake on the ride home... HARDEST THING IVE EVER DONE! haha So we got back at about 2am.... and still had to wake up at 6:30 the next day. Lets just say it wasnt our best day the next day. hahahaha it was a little rough!

But Thursday we had district meeting! I was asked to give a 30 minute training on Revelation through Church Attendance.. and then to do a 30 minute role play. It turned out really well and with the help of the spirit we really got the district motivated to get their investigators to church! It is seriously so so so important for us to get them there!

On friday we had a fun little surprise.... Apparently our apartment in Mt. Vernon has a two person limit. SO, because we have three sisters we needed to move out.  In conclusion, the mission office moved us to Anamosa (a town about 20 miles away but still in our area) to live with ELder and Sister Templeton!!!! hahaha we love it so much!!! They are hilarious and they are like our new parents. They have a three bedroom duplex so there was plenty of room for us to move in. We are pumped. haha

On Saturday night, we put together a cool Pioneer Day celebration for the branch to bring non member friends! We had a sweet handcart, hot dogs, beans, homemade icecream, and homemade rootbeer. It turned out so good. There were lots of pioneer games for everyone to play. It was basically a mini Nauvoo. We also had a church tour to give to all the nonmembers! So it turned out really well! We were expecting mybe 30 people, but there ended up being bout 65 people!! IT WAS SICK! hahah so awesome!

Then on Sunday, we had two investigators at church!!! Caleb and Mitchelann! They are both so solid its ridiculous! Mitchalann is set to get baptized on the 17th and we are hoping to set the 24th as a date for caleb on tuesday. Ali..... you should totes marry caleb once he's baptized. Im not even joking!!! He's in his 30's, single, a marine, and he' way good looking!! And he has sweet blue mustanng! You think I'm kidding but im not... its my goal to get you two married!! haha I'll send you a pic of him soon! hah:)

Anyways... Thats how my week has been! Pretty crazy, but so good!!! I love you guys so much! And i know i have been doing the worst at writing back, but I promise I will! I jut have so little time. I haven't forgotten about any of you! :) I love so much! Thank you for being the best family ever and especially making my birthday here so special!
The church is true. Revlation through the spirit is real. Read Elder Oaks' talk in the Ensign this month about revelation. ITS THE BOMB! and it is a good thing to read for FHE! Love you guys!

Love,
Sister Halee Rogers

SHOUT OUT OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS!!!
Ali Rogers.... Dude your letter was the freakn bomb! haha I loved all the pictures and the paper! It was so flippin sweet! I actually used part of your letter in my training at district meeting!!! Talk about inspired writing sister!!! thanks so much!!!

Mom.... You are ALWAYS going to be on the shout out list. But seriously you are amazing! Thank you for everything!

Grandma and Grandpa Rogers... Thanks so much for your sweet letter! Its so great to hear from you guys!!!!

Grandma and Grandpa jones... your card rocked!!!! Im so glad that you two hit up serranos last week for the lunch! Sounds like a freakn party!!!

Carlee and the burtches.... I love your package and present! Thank you so so so much!!!!

Sadi and the popes... I love candy!! You guys nailed it! thanks so much!!!

Amy Sorensen... Holy crap one of the best letters I have ever read!!! I loved every minute of it!!! So glad oregen is treating you well!

Sydney Webb.... Dude, youre the bomb! Your letter was so dang solid!:)

Dad.... I know I still haven't written you back, but im working on it!!! I love you thanks so much!

And im not sure if I already shouted this one out, but Emmee... Seriously you are too cute! Thanks so much for your letter! it made my day!!!!

ALSO...all the love from Facebook (my mom sent me an email with all the facebook birthday wishes!) Thank you, Thank you!

Email 7/22/2013

Elder Holmes, Halee's District Leader, finished his mission and went home this week.

Got a new companion in their trio this week- Sister Wiest from SLC!

Fam!
Yo! So its another week down, here in Mt. Veezy! Things are going so swell and the work is progressing thanks to many great tender mercies and miracles from God. A lot went down this week so let me try and fill you in!

As you know, on thursday was transfer meeting! We got a third companion! Her name is Sister Wiest! She is from the great city of Salt Lake. She's been out for about 6 months, served in the MTC with Sister Murphy. She got sent home 4 months in for medical issues and got surgey so now shes back! Shes way cool so I'm stoked to have her in our companionship!

On thursday night after we picked up Sister Wiest, we had an appointment with a media referral we had received. His name is Caleb, we didnt really know too much about him. But when we got to his house and started talkin to him, we found out that he's a marine! (He's got some way sick tats) He is in his mid-30's probably and his best friend from the marines is a member of the church. So we were planning on teaching him the restoration, but when we asked him what he knew about it, he pretty much relayed the whole lesson to us! HAHA! We also found out that he's been going to church with his friend in provo for like two months straight! GOLDEN! Not only that, but he's started to read the Book of Mormon on his own! So we read a little bit with him and then asked him what would be hindering him from getting baptized and he thought about it for a minute and then was like.... well nothing really. HA IT WAS NUTS! So we invited him to be baptized and he accepted and then we invited him to pray about a baptismal date and he also accepted! So we concluded with a prayer and asked if he would offer it. He said yes and then proceeded to give like the most wonderful prayer I have ever heard! This guy is so solid!!!! IThe Lord is blessing us so much and I know its because of all your prayers back home! They are totes working!!!:) Hopefully we will have a date set with him on Thursday!!!!

Alright, best thing for last.... i know youre thinking, "it gets better??" YES IT DOES!!!!!! So we stopped by Mitchellann's house on friday to introduce her to sister Wiest and teach her but when we came she was just so grumpy and having like the worst day ever. So we left there feeling pretty bad and wanting to help her. So that night Sister Murphy got revelation that we should bring her cookies the next day! So we did and she was feeling much much better! We started talking to her a little bit about the doctine of Christ. I reinvited her to be baptized and she said probably.  So we kept talking to her and after a while of talking I invited her to set a date for her baptism. I told her that, we as a companionship, had been praying about a certain date a lot.  She said she had a date in mind for herself.  But she wanted to know what our date was first.  So we told her August 17th and she was all well I was thinking my anniversary which is August 18th so that would work out just perfectly! IT WAS AMAZING!!!!  We had the same date!!!!! She put it in her calender and everything! Im so excited for her!!!! We gotta teach her a lot still to be ready by then but we know she can do it!!!!!

Well that's pretty much everything exciting going on this week. It has been so great and humbling! We are headed to the Nauvoo Pageant for my birthday tomorrow!! I'm so stoked!!! Also, today I have been out exactly 2 months!!! haha

I love you guys so so so much! And 
I talk about you guys all the time! I miss you like crazy and thank you so much for all your letters and packages! I'll have to do shoutouts next week!

But seriously the church is true!

Love,
Sister Halee Rogers

Email & Pics...7-15-2013

The many faces of Halee! 

 Halee and Elder Cleverly, her new district leader.  

They bought clothes at a thrift store to wear to their district meeting.

The Sisters volunteered at Mt. Vernon Heritage Days all day helping the kids in the bounce houses and running games, etc...  I guess the only background she could find to take a picture was in front of the Coors Light signs with her Church of Jesus Christ Of Later Day Saints shirt on. HA HA!  

Halee adding character to her planners!

HELLOOOOOO
Another week down! Wahoo! Its been going really great. Slowly, but surely we are making progress with people. Mitchellann came to church again this week. We didnt set a date with her yet but hopefully soon. We did a lot of member lessons, tracting, and service this week. Its been solid! We are really trying to stress the importance to the members of our need for them. Its really  truly only through them that we can find people to teach efficiently.
On saturdray, there was a big festival in town called Heritage Days. Sister Murphy and I volunteered all day long, running kids games and bounce houses and stuff. It was pretty cool, got to talk to some peopple, so that was good! But saturday, sister murphy and i had quite the bonding experience....... Our toilet flooded our whole bathroom. YIKES..... and it happened to flood right after I went to the bathroom so it wasnt even clean water!! ya.... so gross. haha We had to clean it and mop it all up. IT SUCKED. haha but we still managed to laugh our guts out about the whole situation, so thats good! We plunged all day and couldnt get it to fix, so we had to wait til sunday morning for the Senior Elder in our branch to come fix it. I had to hold my bladder for 14 hours!!!!!!!! It was SO HARD! haha but i made it so its all good.

So thats pretty much the jist of what happened this week. Transfers are on thursday.... Sister Murphy and I are both staying here in Mt. Vernon... BUT we are getting a third sister to add to our companionship!! A TRIO! Itll be fun i hope. haha We dont know who the third sister is yet, but im excited to find out on thursday!

Ive really started to develop a sincere LOVE for The Book of Mormon. I just want to read it all day long. Its so amazing! One of my favorite parts is all of Mormon's littles comments throughout foreshadowing whats going to happen later on. He like " The nephites are prosperous now... but just you wait! Keep reading and you'll find out how they become a wicked and a savage people!" haha its awesome, i love it! I know without a doubt that this book is true. And the cool thing about it is that EVERY story relates to missionary work in there. If I ever have questions on how to go about something I just turn to The Book of Mormon because theres like 800 examples of amazing missionaries in there. The Book of Mormon is like the "Teacher's Edition" of a text book for Preach My Gospel. Its so awesome! Its got all the answers.
The Book of Mormon is true. I didn't have to read the whole thing to know this. It truly testifies of Jesus Christ. It proves that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that He DOES call living prophets to preside over His church here on the earth today.


I love you guys so much. I think about you guys 100 times a day. YOURE AMAZING! I can't thank you enough for all of the support you all have been giving me. I love you!!

Love,
Sister Halee Rogers

SHOUT OUT TIME
Im starting a new thing where i give shout outs to people who wrote me or sent me something from this week!!!

First up, Aubrey Steffan.... I have never met you, BUT i absolutely LOVED your card!!!! Thank you so much for those kind words!!! They mean so much!!  (She just forgot she knows you Aubrey.  She probably just doesn't remember your name.)

Next, MOM!!!!!! oh my you are seriously the bomb!!!! Thank you so much for the package! It made my life!!!! Seriously, i love you so much!

thats it for this week.... but keep sending me letters! 

Email 7-8-13

Sister Rogers made funeral potatoes....her favorite!

Whuddup Homies!!!!
Holy crap I love Mondays!!! P-days are the best! haha How are yall doin? I miss you! Pray for you guys everyday! Hope everything is freakn amazing! Apache lake huh?? JEALOUS! I bet its nice to get in that cool water!
As for me, Im doing great! This week has been crazy good! We had zone conference on Wednesday and got to meet our new mission president and his wife! President Jensen... Hes awesome and so hilarious! He writes geography textbooks that are apparently used all around the world. So he's pretty dang genius as well! But seriously he's so funny... He was up at the pulpit speaking and mid sentence he stops and picks up a hair from his jacket.  He holds it up and looks at it and then drops it and says, "Welp... see you at the Ressurection!" haha i seriously died. Im really really looking forward to having him as my mission president. My interview went well. It was just a get to know you interview.  Nothing too exciting! haha

On Thursday, 4th of July, we had a branch breakfast and one of our investigators came! WOOT WOOT! Her name is Mitchel ann, shes so cool! Shes in her 70's and LOVES to talk! The first time we met her, we knocked on her door and she let us in but made it VERY clear that she wasnt interested in changing religions. But we asked her to go to a church tour anyways and she gave a very strong NO! So we backed off a little, but not too much because we just kept going back to her house and visiting with her (mostly listening... she's quite the talker) and then we helped her outside picking weeds and crap in her garden. After about three visits of just talking to her and getting to know her, she told us she wanted to learn about heaven and stuff and that us sisters were really starting to grow on her! Her husband had died of brain cancer about 10 years ago so the spirit was very clear in telling us that we needed to teach the Plan of Salvation. So we went to her house on the 4th of July and taught her. It was so amazing! The spirit was so strong! We invited her to be baptized and she said it was definitely something to consider. God has softened her heart so much. And she is realizing how much this gospel can bless her life. She came to a baptism on Saturday with us and then to church with us on Sunday! She is progressing so fast and its definitely been a mighty change of heart for her. She told us she will be back to church next Sunday too! She is amazing and God is truly incredible and His power to change people is majestic. He has been pouring down the blessings and I am just so humbled and grateful to be one of His servants in this glorious work.

On saturday night, we mowed our first lawn! SUCCESS! haha but seriously... riley.... You rock! Grass is annoying. haha Im sure its like 10 X harder to mow our lawn cause first of all you gotta empty the bag every five minutes. They dont have bags in Iowa, the cut grass just flies everywhere and you leave it. haha! And... its also like a cajillion times hotter in AZ than it has been up here. Its still pretty humid and hot up here, but I think that AZ was WAY worse than this. So Riley, keep up the good work bud!

Oh... also about the 4th of July. That night we went to our Branch president's house for dinner and fireworks. It was awesome! President Gilbert's brother in law is Deaf, so I got to bring out my rusty signing skills. It was wat cool tho! I cant believe how much i remember! Scratch that.... Im grateful God brought all those signs back to my remembrance! Cause we were holding a full conversation so it was way sweet! Gift of Tongues(hands) Baby!!!!!

Thats pretty much how my week went! Dang Solid! Hopefully we should have a baptismal date for her this week!

Heres a funny joke this CATHOLIC guy told us the other day...

  This guy dies and is getting a tour of Heaven from one of the angels. As they are going through the tour they come across this great big beautiful building and the angel says "Okay when we walk past this building you have to be completely silent! Not one noise!" The guy said okay and they tiptoed past the building. They finish up their tour and the angel asks the guy if he has any questions. The guy says " Ya, what was that building that we had to be so quite by?" The angel replied, " Ohhh.... thats where all the Catholics live. They think theyre the only ones up here!"

HAHAHAHA... Man I thought that was pretty dang funny coming from a catholic guy! haha

Welp... Thats pretty much all I got for ya. Sister Murphy and I are doing great. We eat cheesecake all the time but its okay cause we walk everywhere in order to save miles on our car so we can drive up to Cedar Rapids every monday morning and play basketball and stuff with the rest of the zone! haha its SO fun! I like to ball it upppppp
But anyways... I love you guys more than anything! im so grateful for all of your support! Yall are awesome! Stay safe and dont burn! LOVE YOU:)
LOve,
Sister Halee Rogers

Email 7-1-13

Sister Rogers is loving Mt. Vernon Iowa and the people there.

Sister Rogers & Sister Murphy finding fun in their work!

alrighty Fam!
Quick update on me! I am loving Mt. Vernon, it is such an awesome area, the people are great and i know im here for a reason! Teaching is going very well! We have 4 investigators now! so we have made so much progress. The Lord has been pouring down blessings in an endless shower it feels like! its so awesome and I love being able to share the gospel. Its the most rewarding work! We have three girl investigators vee, jennifer, and brandi. All three of them are on different levels and have different needs but we are so happy to be teaching them! And our 4th investigators name is Clint. Hes way cool! His girlfriend is a member. Hes super open to learning and has good faith in god. So we just gotta keeping teaching him, get him and his girlfriend married and then we can baptize him! haha itll be a work in progress:)
Sister Murphy and I are getting along great! We like to jam to Mormon Tabernacle Choir in the car. Our current favorites are "Battle of Jericho" "Down to the river to pray" and "Old time religion" We get em stuck in our heads pretty easy haha we also like to make bets. The winner of these bets are ALWAYS rewarded with cheesecake from the other person. So you can see why we like making bets! hahha So yeah we are doing pretty solid! She plays the piano so we are gonna try and do a musical number in sacrament sometime. We will see if it works out though.
Our new mission president starts presiding today!!! President Jensen! We get to meet him on wednesday at zone conference so thatll be sweet! Im one of the three missionaries hes interviewing after zone conference.... YIKES! So i gotta look really good and be in my best dress! wish me luck! hahah
Thats a quick update on me! Hope yall are doing great! Have fun at brodys party today! Tell him aunt hay hay says hi and that she misses him! Did he get the letter i sent?? hope so... I colored it and everything!! haha Sadi... henrys and yours are on the way.
Anyways, I want to leave you guys with my testimony. The Book of Mormon is the truest book on this earth and it is the most important book as well. It is so vital that we feast upon its words every single day! As Ive come to knoe of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon through the Holy Ghost, Ive come to know by that same power that Jesus Christ is the savior and redeemer of the world. It is only through His Atonement that we are saved. Bear testimony and share the blessings of the Atonement any chance you get cause the Atonement is what changes people. Thats a promise. It WILL change people.

I love you guys so much! You guys are the greatest family in the entire world! Everyday you are evidence to me that God loves us, because of the pure happiness I receive when i am with you, get letters from you, or even talk about you! I love you ALL! Thanks for the many prayers!!!

Love Sister Rogers

PS heard about the supreme court rulings..... yikes. FOLLOW THE PROPHET!!