7-29-2019 ~ That's a wrap.

Family and Friends,

This week was the fastest of my life. I blinked and now its Monday again. The craziest thing that happened this week is...we got bed bugs!! Woke up one morning with about 90 bits on my legs literally 4 days before I left😅 

Well As many of you know....it has been 2 years and I come home this week. 

My mission has been the hardest 2 years of my life. I have been hated, and discriminated for teaching love and peace. I have been looked at like I'm an alien. I've been mistaken for a manager at Walmart (many times). I have been homesick. I have sweated gallons and gallons of water just trying to find 1 person to talk to. I had companions I struggled with. But I have never felt so close to my Savior. I have seen miracles through faith and obedience. I have developed attributes and become more like Him. In my lowest low I was able to be carried by Christ and in my highest high I was able to feel His presence and love. Winning a couple State Championships was great , But The greatest joys in my life have been helping individuals and family's enter into the water of baptism to qualify and enter into the gate for eternal life. Even though my mission has been the hardest years of my life I know that they were exactly what I needed. I have met many amazing people who have inspired me and I've had experiences that have taught me life lessons. I know that everywhere I was placed was exactly where God needed me to be. Whether that was for my benefit or others. I am torn having to leave the people I love, but I know that this is the next step of my mission in life. I will cherish always the friendships I have gained and the experiences I have had. 

I know the God knows and loves each of us. He gave us an older brother who would suffer and die for us and would be the way for us to be forgiven of our sins. He would also suffer ever pain/sickness/sorrow/etc so that he would know exactly how to lift us when life was hard. God has blessed us with a Prophet to lead and guide and defend our faith. I know that this is God's church on earth. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. Out of all the people I have helped find the truth in my mission. The one who is most converted now to the Gospel is myself. 

Love y'all and see you soon!

-Elder Rose

7/22/2019 ~ Uno mas

Howdy howdy everyone.

Cant believe it is Monday already. This week has been so good and a little crazy too😅 to start out the week we had District Council. I asked Elder Van Tassell to give the instruction. He made me a proud father and gave a good instruction. After DC we went on exchanges with the Elders in Sweetwater. I went with Elder Evans. Long story short he has told others before that I'm not a hard worker...so....me being me Haha😏😅we spent 5 hours grinding in 100° weather the whole time, found 4 new people to teach, taught a sweet lesson, and also walked almost 9 miles. Thought I was gonna kill the boy.... But we saw some miracles in meeting those people just because we were walking!!

These past 2 transfers it has SO tough to find solid people to teach and we have been working so hard to see success but just haven't had much luck. But this past week the Lord has blessed us big time. We've gotten 4 referrals from members and 3 of them came to church yesterday. We have had some awesome lessons with them this week. They each have some great potential and will most likely be baptized in a month or so! We went from teaching 2 people like 6 weeks ago to now teaching 12. And 7 of them are very solid!! President Hales made the comment to me in my interview last transfer to just keep setting the table for others to feast on. It makes me sad I wont be able to teach any of these amazing people, but the Lord has blessed us for our hard work! It hasn't been anything that we are doing besides being in tune with the spirit to find these people. 

Alright here is the crazy for the week......so we were driving home for lunch one day and see this big white man, probably 300lbs, carrying these 35 pound dumbbells just trucking along the sidewalk having a good ol time working out. The closer we got to him he was bleeding from his head really bad and also completely naked😳 so we obviously flip around and here comes the police. They try to stop this guy but the man just wanted to finish his workout so he walked right past them. So soon enough the tazed him....multiple times😂 it was the exciting thing I've seen In along time, but also horrifying ha. Moral of the story is...Don't do drugs kids.

On Saturday we had the chance to go to the temple and do some baptisms for the dead with the YSA branch and Kélé!! While we were there I had the amazing opportunity to baptized President Eastman for Sister Eastman's grandpa. It was such a special experience and the spirit was very powerful. I have gained a strong testimony the God puts you exactly where you need to be over my mission, and I know staying in Abilene for 9 months was exactly what I needed and i have been around those that i needed to learn from.

 The Church of Jesus Christ is on the earth. We can have the same blessings people had when Christ was on the earth as long as we are obedient to God's commands. God loves us. Christ died for us. The church is true. 

Love yall and thank you for everyone for the support and prayers you have sent my way these past 2 years! 

Love Elder Rose

7/15/19

Hello Fam and Friends,

First off sorry for not getting an email out last week. I ran out of time and we were busy, and nothing can stop the work from progressing. 

The weeks are flying by. This week was a good one. This week we had Zone Conference down in San Angelo and it was definitely the most memorable one. First I gave my departing testimony....crazy. Second--The past couple of Zone conferences they have put up pictures of all of the people that were baptized in that month and just do a little slideshow of them, and this time at the very end they had the picture of Kélé, Sophie and Abby up. And to close Kélé got up and told her conversion story and bore her testimony. It was so powerful and I am so glad I was able to be a part of her whole conversion and am still close to be able to see them. 

The next day I had my departing testimony with President Hales as well. 

This week I also went on exchanges with Elder Johnson in the 2nd ward and it was soo sick to go back!! The relationship with lots of members has been a little shaky lately so we went and talked to all the peeps I got right with and hooked them up with meals now!! 

Thanks everyone for the emails and support. The Church is true. The priesthood us Restored. Jesus loves you.

Love Elder Rose

7-1-2019 ~ JULY

Hello everyone, 

Cannot believe it is July. Time has sure flown by. This week was a pretty good typical week. We started out the week with an exchange after district council. I went with Elder Brandow and had a good time. We taught a few lessons and overall it was good. It is crazy because we started our missions together and were shown the ropes together and now we are ending together too, so it's weird seeing that all of this is going to end in the very near future. 

This week we also were able to spend time trying to gather scattered Israel. Lots of hot n' sweaty hours on some bikes since we have been low on miles ha. But it's been good. Met some great and very friendly people and some that are polar opposite of those people. It is just expected tho:) 

This Sunday we also saw some miracles......first is we are alive.....got into a car accident right after church😅 nothing crazy just someone really wanted in our lane I guess.....but we also had 4 people we are teaching at church with us. And that was so satisfying because it has been so hard finding people to teach so that was very rewarding to us. We are teaching a guy right now his name is Paul Mayhall and he is such a good guy. He has come a long way in the time we have taught him and has really expressed to us his desire to be baptized lately but we have been waiting to give him a date until he comes to church and he showed up yesterday. So we are about to send it large with him this week. He knows he needs to cut some habits before he is ready but we know that the Lord wants him on his team at this time. So pray for Paul that he can have the strength to overcome his habits. 

The church is true yall. God loves you, knows you, and wants all of us to step it up, repent, and give more of our A game. 

Love yall. Have a Happy 4th of July. 

-Elder Rose

Elder Brandow

Goodbye to Connor (Elder) Ellis

Goodbye party for Brooklyn