Aug 30, 1999

Clint Mission 99 #35                                                                           8/30/99

                Word to all of you it has been a great week.  I am 100% healthy.

                Last Monday Lucky’s had Pop Tarts from America.  I bought a 12 pack and went eager to buy again this week but they were all gone.  Lucky’s is strange like that every now and then they will get a good American shipment and we missionaries jump all over it. 

                This past week we accomplished two full days of interviews and other projects.  I felt bad for the short letter last week and so I included some copied journal entries to help fill you in. 

                As you can see Elder Folsom and I got in the van and drove to 7 kilometers to Ta Khmau a smaller city south of Phnom Penh.  We may expand there in October, it was a good adventure to go down and scout it out and talk to two good men.

                We are going to have to start getting ready for the October new comers, eight more missionaries making our total 48 missionaries.  Elder Folsom and I will need to arrange for 3 new houses, and must help make the decision whether or not we go to Ta Khman.

                We have been working hard to prepare a training meeting for our Zone Leaders tomorrow.  Saturday we met with President White about it and had a really good talk.  I have learned so much from working with President White.  Combined with his spirituality and strong faith he is a strong worker and a problem-solver.  He is a great role model.  At the end of our Saturday meeting President White took Elder Folsom and I out to lunch.  We took the opportunity to find out more about President White. 

He started out wanting to be a Neurosurgeon but really enjoyed lab research work and switched.  He began working at South Dakota State but had too much teaching time and no time for research.  He then got a job with the US Government for 16 years as a researcher before switching to Agriculture/ Biological project stations.  He lived and worked in Government Posts at Guatemala, Holland, and India.  He is strong in Biology and especially in entomology and would help with pesticide control.  He and Sister White both know Spanish and he served as a sealer in Guatemala Temple.  An interesting life he has had.  A good lunch but better than that was the conversation. 

                Another good experience that Saturday was interviewing members of a family of 6 who had been taught by Elders Walker and Chbean.  Elder Folsom interviewed the father and I interviewed the mother.  It was a tough situation as the Mother was a little shaky on a few points of doctrine, yet her commitment and desire and faith were strong.  The situation became a little difficult as she confessed of a sin which was of nature that I needed to talk with President White before making a decision whether or not she could be baptized.  I finished the interview but before letting her leave I excused myself and told her that I needed  to talk to President White before I could make a decision.  President White counseled with me how to handle the situation.  He also had a great idea how to help the mother doctrinally.  I helped her better understand the process of repentance and also how Christ helps us through his atonement.  I shared Alma 34:31 and I love the word immediately.

Alma 34:31

 31 Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you. 

                After taking care of that I then called her husband in, following the council of President White, and we talked together and the husband helped his wife understand better and remember the points of doctrine she was shaky on.  It was a great experience.  I am so grateful for the atonement to see it work in the lives of others, and the miracle of repentance and conversion.  Baptism interviews are a wonderful experience.  I am also grateful for such a worthy Priesthood holder as a Mission President. 

                Sunday the family of 6 was baptized!  There was 117 people at the church, and it is awesome to see the families there in church.  Sam Sophon and family leading the way.

                I have some news.  I talked with President White this past week about what day I would go home.  The MTC is only sending even numbers of missionaries out and in our group leaving Elders Hoare, Williams, and Rogers an odd number.  So it works good for the mission to have someone go home early to avoid a threesome.  You can come pick me up in Phnom Penh on December 15^th or 16^th.  President White says that day is pretty sure and that you could go ahead and reserve the tickets. 

                Wednesday or Thursday----pick me up.

                Then 2 days in Siam Reap   either Thursday/Friday or Friday Saturday

                Then back to church on Sunday and then fly to Hong Kong. 

                I hope this is enough notice, you will have to get going on your plans.  I’ll be home for Christmas.  It is scary how much time I have left.  I have got to raise my performance, effort and spiritually.

                Thanks for the good letters and support!!!

                I love you all very much!!

                Love your Son, Brother and Missionary       Elder Rogers

PS Check put Alma 7: 23-25

Alma 7:23

 23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.

Alma 7:24

 24 And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works.

Alma 7:25

 25 And may the Lord bless you, and keep your garments spotless, that ye may at last be brought to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the holy prophets who have been ever since the world began, having your garments spotless even as their garments are spotless, in the kingdom of heaven to go no more out

Aug 16, 1999 and Aug 23, 1999

Clint Mission 99 #32                                                           8/16/99

Dear Family,

                Hello and word-up from the best mission, for sure.  We received an increase of 25% this past week, 8 new missionaries:  Elders Cluff, Springer, Nelson, Kieng, Sorenson, Baird, Van Brocklin and the New and Improved Elder Bullard!!!  Yes, Elder Bullard is back.  It is a real miracle it is against church policy and habit to allow missionaries to return back to their original place of service.  However he is invaluable to us!  President and Sister White rallied us into a mission fast and prayer and would not let us change or make any back up plans just go as planned and exercise faith that he will be back.  It was extra special to be at the airport and welcome him back along with the pickup of our new Elders .  We rented a little bus to get everyone rounded up.  There is a special excitement to see missionaries come in especially when it is 8 Elders!.  It is mind boggling to think at what that addition of 8 more does to our work here.  We spent Wednesday helping deliver luggage to the houses and helping where we could to get them set up .  Those suitcases are so big and so heavy when they first come in country.  As I was putting an exceptionally heavy and  big suitcase in the van, Elder Fulsome says, “ I didn’t know that being 6 foot plus and able to throw around luggage was part of the job requirements.”  I laughed, size does help on move days.  Elder Fulsome is smaller physically but inside is a spiritual giant. 

                Elder Folsom and I are still in our apartment but I switched from the top bunk to the bottom bunk for a change. 

                On Sunday in church the first branch was packed with families it was great.  This past week Elder Folsom and I went to visit Sam Sophon and family.  They are doing great!  They referred another family of 5 and a cousin , and also Sam Sophon’s mother is going to study.  They know that she has seen the great change in the family and she joins them for prayer and things.  They ask her things like “ Grandma do you think you are ready to be baptized?  She agreed this week.  Laen also stood up and bore his testimony, he is the oldest boy.  It came right from his heart!  He likes to help prepare and pass the sacrament each week.  Also Ottung the oldest twin spoke he shared                                                                    Alma 34:27Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

and talked about how prayer in his family helped them receive blessings.  Again another excellent talk. 

                This week is going to be busy .  It is zone conference week!  For the first time we are going to have two sessions. 

                Until next week, I love you all

                Your Son, Brother and Missionary    Elder Rogers

8/23/99

Dear Family,

                It has been a great week here in the CPP mission.

                This week has been extremely busy and enjoyable as for the first time ever Zone Conference was held in two separate sessions.

                This week started out a little rough as I woke up sick on Tuesday.  ( Diarrhea and terrible stomach cramps) I barely made it to the office on time and endured through a Zone Leader/ Assistant/ President meeting.  After which I asked for a priesthood blessing.  President White anointed and Elder Folsom my companion gave me a blessing.  It was a good one and I hit the fluids and took a few hours rest right there in the mission home and then went home on my bike that evening.  There was just too much to do this week to be sick.  I know the Priesthood blessing really helped.  The conferences  were great.  Fill you in next week.

                Love your Son, Brother, and Missionary,

                Elder Rogers 

August 9 1999

8/9/99

Dear Family,

                Phew. . . . !  The move is over!  Today was one busy day!

                How are all of you?  Thanks for the letter everyone.  I really do appreciate all the letters, support, prayers and packages.  I appreciate all of your great strength and I don’t mean to neglect any of you with the post.  Thanks so much for all the packages! 

                Today I received Lake Powell Pictures and I’ve got to say Word - up to Powell 2000!

                I have a new companion, Elder Jacob D. Folsom.  He is from the Wasatch front, and he is

a language master 2000 and a spiritual giant.  He is 2 months ahead of me and just an outstanding

missionary.  Our focus is going to be on helping missionaries increase their skills and thus bring more

 souls unto Christ. We have some of our physical work out of the way after today.  I look forward to being

taught by Elder Folsom and learning from his example.  We have had a special experience together

already as he was fighting a cold a bit and also newly called as an assistant and asked me if I would give

him a blessing.  I was grateful for the opportunity and again it was special for us both.  And from that

point on we are off and running.  All of our work for the last little while came to the big dramatic finish

today as the mission move day took place.  We made a small switch on Aug 6 to get  Elder Brooking,

 Pruett, And Hoare in their new areas so that they could be ready to train new Elders from the MTC come

Aug 11^th.  So Elder Folsom and I started from the 6^th and Elder Hoare is a free Elder.

                We moved everyone else today and also moved into 4 new apartments ( small 4 man houses)

Elder Folsom and I were in the car from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. We only stopped for a quick lunch at the

 Dog Restaurant.  The rest of the time we were coordinating moves, using our van like a pick-up, and just

 solving little problems.  Things went very smooth overall.  I am enclosing the move logistics that Elder

Hoare and I put together. 

                In the move Elder Lowman had some personal belongings mis-placed and was really worried.

  We worried that they were going to be permanently mis-placed.  He first asked the middle of the day and

 we referred him to the home where the truck went before the stop at his house.  The next time that we

 saw him it was late almost time to go in 6:00 p.m.  He still did not have his things.  We got on the phone,

 made the special trip and got Bro. Sears, one of our missionary couples and a good friend, also Phnom

Penh District President, so we could go out after 6:00p.m. We found the bags and then took them back to

 Elder Lowman.  His look of relief made the day all worth it.  I love to help our missionaries!

Mosiah 2:17

 17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

I love you all!

Love your Son, Brother, and Missionary Elder J. Clinton Rogers  

August 2 1999

Clint mission 99 #30                                                                           8/2/99

Dear Family,

                Saturday, July 31^st there was a great big district Pioneer Day.  The young men and Young women have been practicing pioneer square dancing.  The Khmae Young Women performed a traditional Apsara Khmae culture dance, the Vietnamese performed a culture dance too.   The children had a little march and in English they sang “Pioneer Children Sang as they Walked and Walked.”  They sang only that one line over and over and over.  It was awesome.  One of the Branch Presidents, Nou Hoan, wrote a poem and shared it for the event.  There was a little narration performed that talked of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young and the Pioneers.  Elder and Sister Bryan Richards made a quick trip from Hong Kong to see the event.  It was great to see them again.  They were very excited and stressed that the 500 in attendance were modern day pioneers.  It was the first real big excitement I have seen in the leaders they did most of the preparations.  They united and worked together and put on a district activity that was very impressive. 

                Elder Hoare and I also had a 30 min. opportunity to sit down with Elder and Sister Richards and report about how much our mission has changed since the last time he was here and this has come about mainly by following ideas and counsel from them.  Elder and Sister Richards praised and encouraged us and as we left Elder Richards gave both Elder Hoare and I a big hug.  Like I said a month ago Elder H. Bryan Richards is my favorite General Authority.  I hope he speaks in Oct General Conference so you can meet him too! 

                In a small devotional after Pioneer Day, Elder and Sister Richards spoke to all missionaries.  The thing that stuck out to me was a question, “ Why do you choose to ride a bike, sweat, study, and be a missionary? Or to relate the message to all of my clear supporters reading this “ Why do you choose to serve in the church, pay tithing or live the gospel?  What is the reason behind our sacrifices?  Elder Richards then shared Helaman 5: 12

                Helaman 5:12

 12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Christ is the one sure foundation upon which if we build we can not fall.  If this is our reason for living the gospel we will stay on course and be able to overcome all troubles, and weakness on our way back to him.  We can’t have any other motives or reasons we must be focused on Christ.  I have thought about this much since then.  I what this to be my reason for my mission and the rest of my life.  Our actions must be motivated by sincere faith in Christ.  Ether 12:4 comes to mind especially the line “ Always abounding in good works”, if our motives come from faith in Christ.

Ether 12:4

 4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.

                A sad thing happened too.  Elder Michael Lonnie Bullard went home to Salt Lake City to be treated for kidney stones.  He passed 6 stones in the past 2 weeks.  Elder Hoare accompanied him to Thailand and saw him off, Elder Hoare was his companion over night.  I spent a day and ½ working with Elder Burnham who is Elder Bullards’s companion.  Pres. White cried with the loss of one of his Elder’s but news from SLC is good.  We hope that we can get him back here in our Viet zone. 

                Thanks again for all of your love an support.  I hope that you can all feel of my love for you

and also my love and testimony for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter

Day Saints!

Love your Son, Brother and Missionary—Elder Rogers