March 29 1999

Clint Mission 99 #13                                                                           3/29/99

Dear Family,

                Thanks for the letters and pictures I received this week.  Aunt Shell, and the Norths, Hammers, Grandma Hafen and Grandma Talbot, Mom, Dad, Lisha, Bood-funk-a-rama, Angela, Andrea, and Jon!!!

Things are good here although very busy.  I guess that is AP life.

                I too look forward to Conference, we will get it on a video in a month or so. 

                Mangos, Mangos, Mangos!!!

                Like I said this week has flown by I think it was because everyday is just packed.  I don’t know if it is the heat or our schedule but if I sit still for a moment I do the bob thing.  I have no trouble at appointments it is usually the last hour before bed. 

                I think I told you about some of the other Christian people we met.  We have been praying for an opportunity to meet with some of them and just have been working with others.  The Sounds of Sunday couple was scheduled for Monday today like I said last week.  However on Friday we saw her home and paused to see if we were on for Monday. 

                Monday she was busy.  We went to the church and grabbed 19 year old Ban Promoul a district missionary and went back.  We just sat and listened as she went off about her church and all the stuff they were doing.  We waded through this waiting for our chance.  She began to ask how we were different.  We began to tell her and focused in on principles 3rd & 4th of the first discussion.  3=God’s Plan for Revealing truth and 4 = Joseph Smith.  Her main concern is that after the bible there is no more.  We don’t need prophets, revelation, etc.  She has never thought about the concept of priesthood authority.  The discussion was intense as she really wanted to know and yet believes strongly in her church.  It was not contentious though.  An hour and a half flew by and more and more she listened.  She committed to pray about Joseph Smith.  As we were talking she at one point thought we weren’t understanding her, we were struck on a term that they use differently in her church.  She went right to Promoul and he strongly bore his testimony.  He said he really felt the spirit in the appointment.  Her name is Dalyya ( Dal lee ya).  She praised us saying I admire your courage and the way you talk with feeling.  As we were leaving she talked about her family.  She said her family had been Christian ever since her Aunt or someone heard a voice in answer to prayer.  Also she said that her parents had both died and she was an orphan .

                When she said this I asked her is she had ever been baptized for her parents.  I knew she hadn’t been but asked to spark her interest.  I then talked about 1 Corinthians 15:29 .  Else why. . .  and told her that through the Priesthood we can do this ordinance to help those who have passed on.  It grabbed her attention and it came right from the bible.  

                DEAR VERN STUDY THE MISSION SCRIPTURE LIST!!!!---- Love Elder Rogers

               

                We went back lst thing Saturday Morning to check on Dalyya’s answer.  She had laid down to help her daughter get to sleep and feel asleep too. We are going back tomorrow at 12:00p.m., to follow up on her prayer.  She obviously felt the spirit. I believe she knows it is already true.  Her prayer will only confirm that.  The hard part is that she is a paid employee for the New life Church.  Our little branches do not  have the radio station, membership,  etc.  However, we do have the restored and complete gospel of Jesus Christ with authority to perform the ordinances that allow us to enter the celestial kingdom.  I know that this is true. 

                Love you all.

                Your  Son, Brother, Missionary, Elder Rogers

March 22, 1999

Clint Mission 99# 12                                                                            3/22/99

Dear Family,

                Hello.  I bought 12 Mangos nicely ripe and put them in the fridge for the week.  I plan to eat at least one after writing this letter.  The only down side is with no maid I have to peel them. 

                The major event of this last week was Zone Conference.  It was a major event for Elder Hoare and I, there was much to prepare.  We talked about the Mission Statement:

                1).  Help Every Missionary Return with Honor.

                2).  Be committed to a balanced effort with emphasis Conversion, Retention, Activation.

                3). Memorize discussions and discussion scriptures. 

                The theme of the conference as you know was Alma 57:21 Obedience.  We tried to focus on the promises and positives of obedience.  Our lesson started with #3 and built up to #1.  #1 Return with Honor.  Elder Hoare and I used a video clip from the Satellite Broadcast to Missionaries, where Elder Russell M. Ballard spoke about the power which comes to missionaries who focus on Christ.  Our commitment was “Will you Return with Honor by making your mission HIS mission?”

                The Fowlers, Johnsons, Elder Gray, Heywood, McCormick all gave their final testimonies.  Time is sailing by here.  It was weird to see my trainer Elder Heywood give his closing testimony.  He related the experience of a day in April, a day that was hotter than Toby, when he and I found Lou Thom. It is quite a success story.  There are so many blessings and experiences that it becomes a big blur. Write fast and furious in the journal at night. 

                I’m excited that you left Elder Lloyd.  He just left here a few minutes ago. Sounds like you all really enjoyed his homecoming. 

                Elder Hoare and I have been given a big assignment by President White.  The missionary department has said that we can have 52 missionaries here.  Elder Hoare and I have been given the assignment to create the plan of expansion.  Of the 52, 6 will be Viet Elders, 46 Cambodian Elders.  That means 23 companionships.  Right now we do not have permission to leave Phnom Penh.  After that we do have permission , we want to go to Ta Khman a city just south of PP and to Kompang Cham.  Siam Reap is a few years away.  Elder Hoare and I need to create a plan for 9 new proselyting areas.  By mid April we will have 30 Elders. 

                Things are picking up in our area.  There are a couple of pieces of property being looked at for 3 church buildings.  No purchases made yet.  There is a committee coming to make the decision.   The lot they like is on Mao Tse Toung right across from the Chinese Embassy.  President White and we as a mission have a goal of turning the District of PP into a stake.  President would like to see this before he goes home in June 2000.

                Just an update about “the Sounds of Sunday” couple.  They are remolding their house.  The wife tends their daughter in the morning while he works at the “pital” and then he tends in the afternoon while she reads scriptures on the radio and yes our members say that they have heard scriptures from the Book of Mormon on the air.  Because of the remolding we haven’t been able to meet the husband.  We don’t dare go and meet the wife without the husband. 

                However we saw them this afternoon and she asked us straight out “What do you believe?” Why do you say Joseph Smith is so important?  We scheduled to go back on Monday the 29^th to talk about Joseph Smith. 

                We have had a real interesting thing happening to us these last few weeks.  Elder Hoare and I have run into more Christian families than we have met combined in the other months of the mission.  They are all members of other Christian Churches.  They won’t listen to us, aren’t concerned about searching for complete truth, A bible, A bible.  Elder Hoare and I are just in agony as they are past the Buddhism thing and love to talk about Christ but don’t have the complete gospel.  We feel like we have to do something and are being led to these families but aren’t sure what? 

                I appreciate all your love!

                Love Your Son, Brother, Missionary,

                Elder Rogers

                  

March 15, 1998

                3/15/99

                Word!! Right back at you Mom I had the first Mangos of the season after reading your letter.  It’s on!!  Elder Hoare and I decided that we are going to keep track oh how many mangos we eat this year.  So far two down, lots more to go.  I’ll keep you posted. 

                Elder Hoare and I have done lots of stuff this past week.  I’ll try to tell you about it:

                This week in our AP duties we have been preparing for Zone Conference this coming Thursday.  We have been preparing the program, we also have to prepare our lesson.  We were struggling for ideas. 

The theme scripture is Alma 57:21, the theme is focusing on obedience. 

21.   Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them. 

We are going to do our lesson on the mission statement: 1) balanced effort 2)Memorize Discussions and Scriptures 3) Return with Honor.  We want to focus the blessings and positive results of doing these things. 

                The next coming month in April, 7 new missionaries are coming: 3 Khmae specking, 2 Vieet speaking, 2 Khmae Natives.  Elders Heywood(Sandy, UT) , Gray( Morgan, UT.)  and McCormick( Washington, State)  are dying. We wrote names with white board markers on the tile walls in our house.  We kneeled and prayed first about who the 5 new trainers should be and then worked out a suggested move plan.  Our part is kind of the physical planning and then we turn it into the President to let him give it spiritual examination.  April = 24 Foreign Elders and 4 Native Elders 22 District Elders and 6 Viet.

                This morning Elder Hoare and I hit the market at 7:00 a.m. with the locals.  Tomatoes, Mangos, Green Peppers, onions, Potatoes,  carrots, eggs.  All by the Kilo.  Also we stocked up on more rice.  We want to make a weekly P-Day run to the market.  We also keep a great supply of bananas

                Sunday night to end the week we had about 20 min before we had to come in and we wanted to use the time productively.  I remembered a house that we had seen earlier in the week thinking, “ I bet a neat family lives there.”  So we followed that idea and went.  We yelled out at the front gate and sure enough here comes a Dad and about 4 kids.  He asks what do you want?  We explained and gave him a Book of Mormon.  I must first back up and said that time seemed to stop for a second as he and his kids stood at the gate looking at us.  My heart was just a beating and I thought WOW what an awesome family.  He said he was confused about the Jesus Christ Religion and wanted to know more.  However he is filming a movie for 15 more days and then will have some free time.  We set a plan with him to come back.  Almost every single person we have been working with this past little while are members of other Christian Churches.  They are stressing searching for truth, Book of Mormon, and Joseph Smith. 

                Another change is we are losing Elder and Sister Fowler, the office couple in charge of finances etc.  There is no one to replace them for at least 2 months.  That means a companionship of Elders has to spend a half day in the office.  Sister Fowler was also the District Primary and Nursery President.. . . .So I’m thinking . . . .Grandma Talbot grab your companion Dot and come quick!!  We need you!!

                I’m out of time.

                Love ya your Son, Brother, and Missionary. 

               

March 8, 1999

Clint Mission 99 #10                                                                            3/8/99

Dear Family,

                I finally feel like a real Missionary!  There was a move this last week and some big changes in my life.  It was quite a surprise.  Elder Hodson was having some troubles.  To make a long story short he told Pres. White he wanted to go home. I really felt bad about the situation, I felt that I had failed as a companion.  In the month Elder Hodson and I were together his enthusiasm was high at the start.  However the last week he stayed in a couple of days sick and kind of miserable.  The area was struggling, we were working hard to find people to teach, my attitude was we needed to keep working and do our part and the Lord would help us find people.  I was unaware that he was struggling and wanted to go home.  I failed in not figuring it out, not being the friend I could of been.  It wasn’t like we had a fight, we are good friends, Elder Hodson is the companion that I have even hugged.  He got down on his self he said he couldn’t be like me.  He said that I have been preparing for a long time for the mission, and that he hadn’t , he was different.  He is having a hard time adapting to missionary life and I am an extremist.  President White met with Elder Hodson and organized a move.  Elder Hodson is now serving with Elder McCormick an Elder who once said send me home, Elder Hoare is my new companion and he and I serve as Assistants to the President ( AP’s) . I laid in bed that night wondering what the Lord wanted me to learn from the 1 month experience with Elder Hodson and what I could have done better.  The experience helped me to be humble.  I have been serving as an AP most of the past week, since Mar 3.  I opened this letter with the phrase I finally feel like a missionary.  This is because of the new house.  Elder Hoare and I live alone in a little apartment.  We cook food together, do laundry, clean together, park the bikes inside at night, take turns in the bathroom.  It feels like real missionary life, also kind of like being married. 

                Elder Hoare and I are best of buds.  Elder Hoare is the “Ecky” of my mission.  Most nights we turn out the lights at 9:30 and then talk to each other about things in the dark. 

                Today I had a fun adventure.  President White and Sister White are at a meeting in Hong Kong.  Today we had the assignment of taking Elder Madden to the airport and to turn him over to his parents.  I forgot how fun driving a stick was!  I haven’t been back to the airport since that day in March of 98. 

                We met a family this week proselyting.  The wife is the voice who reads the scriptures for the New Life Christian Church radio program here in town. 

                It is pretty funny they even have gospel music or Christian music.  However they never heard anything about us or the Book of Mormon.  As we talked we asked if we could come back.  We did go back but only the husband was home with the 2 and ½ yr. old daughter.   We shortened up the first and focused in on Joseph Smith.  After teaching and bearing testimony he asked “ You mean we have prophet now a day like we did in the Bible?  We asked him if he would pray with us right then in the appointment and ask if the Prophet Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God.  I prayed first and asked that we could please have the Spirit there with us, and then he gave an awesome prayer.  The Spirit wasn’t overly strong but we asked him how he felt.  He said he felt something new.  We were just going to focus on the Book of Mormon, when a youngster with a cut lip and blood on his face and shirt, led by his Mom came in.  Sunthaa, our investigator, is also a doctor who works at a hospital and also sells medicine and sees patients at his house.  So we slipped out, we will meet again later this coming week. 

                As AP our schedule is a little different.  Tuesday, Thursday, and Sat from 8-12 we are in the mission office, also we can get pulled if President needs us.  It is great to work with President White on a personal basis. 

                My house is on street 410 near the intersection of Monivong and Mao Tse Toung.

                Well I’m out!

                Love ya!

                Your Son, Brother, Missionary,

                PS Thank Montrue for the card it was great!  

March 1 1999

Clint Mission 99 #9

                                                                                                                                3/1/99

Dear Family,

                Laundry, washing dishes, ironing, cooking my own food, this no maid thing is joke! ( smile) Yup, looks like I’m going to learn a few homemaking skills after all.

                It has been a good week. Especially Sunday. I had the great privilege of putting on the baptismal clothes and baptizing Eng yesterday. The newest member of the Chba Ampov Girls Club and also of the 5^th Branch. She is 17 years old. We had a great baptismal service with Cann (look in my earlier pictures) her friend giving a talk and we watched a 5 minute video clip of Christ among the Nephites. It was reverent and just a great meeting for all involved. We should of baptized another young man too, however his parents have not given their permission and want him to hold off. This is Vereya the young man who brought his teacher to Church. He was so excited about being baptized it is going to be hard for him.

                Elder Hodson and I are excited about a family we are teaching. Sari, his wife, and 4 children. We taught them the first this past week and look forward to meeting with them in the coming week. The Father, Sari, said that he would not believe unless he felt the Holy Ghost. We are itching to get back and see how his reading and prayer are going. We so want to help this family become members of the Church.

                I had a neat experience this past week as Elder Hodson was sick to his stomach one afternoon. He stayed at the office. I went out with Hoa a district missionary. We went to teach a 1^st Discussion to a family. They were not home. As we followed up with a guy we had taught the day before, a younger man came up to us, curious about what we were doing…… Soon we’re in his one room house sitting Indian style on the wooden floor teaching Caanthia 25 and his 20 year old wife. The only white guy, pretty much all by myself yet comfortable and good help from Hoa.

                Another experience of what missionary work in Cambodia is like. Elder Hodson and I headed out on Sunday with only one scheduled appointment but we had a map to a referral. There is no such thing as a clear map or good directions in the poorer areas where street numbers and house numbers aren’t used. However we used this opportunity. Locked the bikes and went into an area by foot. With our map and a “full clip” of pamphlets to hand out. The map is a good ice breaker. The people open up a little easier.

                Example: Hey Uncle how are you today?  Do you know Niat?

              (give him the map) (Let him give us his interpretation)

              Uncle asks why are you trying to find him?

               Well, he wants to study about Jesus Christ, and we teach about Jesus Christ. . . . . .

We finally did find Niats house.  He wasn’t home.  We talked to lots of people in the process and one man showed up to church for our efforts.  We had about 10-15 kids following us around the whole time as we walked the narrow streets.  They helped us know which roads were dead ends and also great for going in to the house and calling people out to meet us.  Two or three times Elder Hodson and I would just kind of laugh at our followers, the group of kids.  They were awesome!

                Well that is about it from me this week.

                Love ya,

                Your son, Brother, and Missionary,

                Elder Rogers