So Many Amazing People

Hey family! Hope you are all doing well and all ready for school to
start up! School started here a few weeks ago and that was all people
would talk about for a while, I bet you are all pretty busy getting
ready for that! But hopefully the transition into the new school year
goes smoothly- crazy to think I will be home before the end of it!

This week was pretty crazy! We had tons of meetings and random things
scheduled into our week, which made scheduling weird, but we also saw
tons of amazing blessings and learned a lot of good stuff! :)

We started teaching a new family this week, their names are Jessica
(the mom), Damion (13), Michelle (11), and Gizelle (5 or 6). They live
with a member family in our branch, and the kids have been coming to
the activities and church for a couple weeks now, and we had met the
mom in passing but just started teaching them as a family this week!
:) they are awesome. The kids love the activities, and the mom grew up
with a Christian background but hasn't been to church in a while, so
her kids haven't really grown up religious. But we were able to teach
them a couple times this week, and then they came to church, which was
awesome! :)

On Tuesday, we had a full day visiting a bunch of people we hadn't
seen in a while. Andrus was in a meeting in Kingwood, so I was on
exchanges with 2 other sisters...that didn't know Spanish. But it was
okay! :) We went and saw Blanca, and she told us that some of her
friends in Mexico were talking to her about church, and when she told
them she was going to the Mormon church, they freaked out at her and
said, "No not that church! They do this, they believe that, etc" but
Blanca stood up for herself and told them what she knew and that we
weren't like that!! :) I am so proud of her for sticking up for her
beliefs and not letting opposition shake her, she is awesome.
We also saw Maggie and Noe, who we hadn't seen in a long time! They
are both doing well, Noe talked all about how he has let himself go
away from the church, hasn't been coming because he has been going
through a lot, etc. but then he started talking to us about how he had
been reading in the Book of Mormon! He read 2 Nephi like 7-18 or
something like that. He brought up how in 2 Nephi 9 there is a verse
(23) that says, "23 And he commandeth all men that they must repent,
and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of
Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.". So he starts
telling us that he has resolved the situation he was in, he knows he
has strayed from the path, but he also knows that the next steps are
to go to church and be baptized- HE told US the importance of
following the path once you know what it is. So we will see now I
guess if he is truly ready to follow the path!

Wednesday we had a Zone Conference, which means all the missionaries
in the Beaumont and Orange zones (about 40 missionaries) got together
for training and to hear from our mission president and his wife. We
learned a lot about finding, teaching, and baptizing. :) It was
awesome, but I don't have time to write everything I learned haha.
Wednesday night, we met Tyler Guy. HE IS THE MOST AMAZING PERSON EVER.
Cassie, I found you a husband. But anyways- so he has been a member
for a couple years, and everyone talks about him as being the most
amazing guy, super solid, involved, helpful, strong testimony, etc.
but he hasn't come to church in a year... We found out that his mom
had seen some anti material and doesn't want him to come to church
anymore. But! So we went and saw him a couple times this week and both
times he blew our minds with how amazing he is. He grew up in a really
difficult environment. There are about 9 kids living at his house, his
mom works a night shift to provide for his family, etc. the list goes
on. Tyler is a senior in high school, has a 5.2 GPA, plays all the
sports, is in a ton of clubs (robotics is one of them Brayton!) and
basically has every school ever trying to get him to go there, but he
feels that he has to stay close to home to be able to help out his
family. He can get scholarships basically anywhere and just has such a
bright future and huge potential- this kid will go far! He is like a
shining light in the midst of all his family. One of the times we went
over, we brought a couple members with us, Michael Keffer and his mom.
His mom talked to the rest of the family while we talked with Michael
and Tyler. Turns out they both went to Nauvoo with all the youth and
were roommates a couple summers ago! So we reminisced with them and
Tyler just lit up talking about memories there, and said that the
whole trip he just felt SO good, like he was home. Tyler really is
just incredible- we are so grateful that we met him and have been able
to have a few conversations with his mom. We are hoping that with
time, she will let him come back to church and get back into things.
(Yesterday he came with us to the Keffers house and we ate and played
soccer with them and it was awesome!) he really does want to come
back, and told us that right now he respects his moms opinion too much
to go do something she doesn't want him to, but we are working with
that!

We have had some amazing lessons with Josue and Daniel! :)
So Wednesday when we saw them, Daniel said that Josue and Armando told
him they wanted to be baptized, so Thursday we asked them about it.
Josue told us that he had been praying like we told him to, and he
asked God if he should be baptized. I don't know exactly how it
translates in English, but he said, "Nació dentro de mi una alegría
que me quise bautizar" basically he said this joy just came into him
and he knew he wanted to be baptized! So that was AMAZING! :) We
talked to both of them more about the Plan of Salvation and how this
is what God wants them to do while they are here on earth, and the
whole time we were teaching, Daniel was pulling out scriptures he had
studied that had to do with what we were talking about. It was
sooooooo awesome. :):) they make me so happy watching them progress
and learn more! Friday we taught them tithing and fasting, and Daniel
pretty much already knew everything we were going to teach, Josue had
more questions and looked more confused, but Armando was very willing
to agree to everything. Saturday (and Sunday :( unfortunately) they
were in Houston, so we didn't get to see them, but last night we went
over there because Daniel wanted us to meet his friends!!!! So we went
and it was Daniel and Josue's OTHER brother Carlos that lives in
Houston, there with his wife, and another one of Daniel's friends that
had talked to missionaries 7 or 8 years ago before he went to Mexico
and lost contact with the church. So basically it was AMAZING and such
a powerful lesson! :) Daniel, Josue and Armando all shared their
testimonies, and talked about what they liked about the church and
things they were learning and changing in their lives because of what
they have heard and seen at church. Then we showed a video and Carlos'
wife Aurora started crying! So she talked about how grateful she was
that we had been there to talk to them, ahhh it was SO cool! :) :)

Hector is also doing awesome, we had a lesson with him at the
Maldonado's house and he was able to confide a ton in them and told
them all of his concerns. They were amazing and answered his questions
with scriptures and their testimonies. That family, the mom is RS
President, the dad is in the branch presidency, their son is about to
go on a mission and their other 2 sons are just awesome as well- they
are the ones who the Banuelos live with, and have helped us tons with
missionary work. So they were super helpful for Hector, and it was
good for him to know that there are people here for him! He is going
through a lot of hard times, and hopefully he will see that we at the
church care for him and want to help out however we can! He came to
church on Sunday as well:)

Saturday we did some service helping this lady move, then went out to
this little town called Hancomer (where Jessica, Damion, Michelle,
Gizelle are living with the Licons). We were able to teach them! We
watched the Restoration video and talked about what they remembered.
Michelle (11) remembered SO much!! :) it was awesome! also we were
able to talk to Dusty, who is our Branch Mission Leaders son! He
hasn't been coming to church either, and he trusts and confides in us
a ton, so we have been able to invite him back and read from the
scriptures with him and show him how much we care. He is a really
genuine person, and super sweet guy- we just want him to be happy!

Sunday was AMAZING!! There were so many people at church, which made
my heart SO happy! :) not only investigators, but less actives, and
lots of people I hadn't seen in a while. Moments like that make me
realize how much God's hand is in this work. He is making things
happen here in Beaumont Texas and I am so grateful to be a part of it.
My companion as we were sitting in church just made a list in her
planner of people that had come, and it made me start crying right
away and just be so grateful to Heavenly Father for helping us do His
work! :) I love the mission! I love being here in Beaumont, helping
people come into Christ every day. This place is amazing, and the
people here even more so! I can't express in words how much joy is in
my heart! I feel SO blessed :)

This transfer flew by, next week Monday are changes, and I don't know
yet what will happen, but I do know that God is the one who holds the
plans for my missions, so whatever comes I know is what needs to
happen. If I had my choice though, I would never leave. ;)

Hope yall have a GREAT week! I love you guys so much, thanks for
everything you do for me and all your support and love. Good luck with
school and everything!
Love, Hermana Rogers