Good Week!

July 29, 2013

Gosh dang it Drew, he needs to be more careful! 

so this week was a pretty good week! we played a lot of hard basket ball last monday and then 

Tuesday we didnt have our normal service project at the farmstead so we went and got my bike and tried to see a bunch of people, we didnt really see anyone during the day because no one answered their doors. and then we had dinner with a cool family! we went and read scriptures with Julie who is our special assignment from the bishop to help her read the whole Book of Mormon. 

Wednesday Elder Crowton was sick so we were home most the day so i read the scriptures and studied as much as i could! then we had dinner and went and taught one of our solid investigators!

Thursday was another weird day and kinda i feel like we wasted a ton of time! we did our studies and then weekly planning which we did in 30 minutes and its supposed to take 2 hours. so i read the ensign and my comp made a planner cover and some stuff! then we saw the Haughts and taught their niece and her friend because they are getting baptized on the 24th of Aug. then we met kelsey who is another of Mimi's grand daughters. (MImi is the one that says were called here to bring her family to the church!) and gave her a Book of Mormon and she seemed really receptive and acted like she wanted to read it and learn more!

Friday we had dinner with the Manning's a really cool family after our district meeting study and meeting with julie! then we went and taught Nicki and committed her to baptism on aug 17th

Saturday we had the farmstead and it was a ton of fun! we got to help and be part of their chicken run. then we had lunch and studied then got ready for dinner, we had dinner with the Walker’s who recently adopted a baby girl! he is also a chiropractor and was able to work on my back! (just another tender mercy of the Lord!) then we saw julie and the haughts!  

Sunday was good! church is always wonderful! and we had the opportunity to just have a great day. then we found out that the Goldens werent going to be able to be baptized on this Saturday for legal reasons but i think the Lord will make all things work out but the baptism will most likely be postponed this weekend.

love you so much and miss everyone like crazy! i love the work im doing and im excited to get better at it and become the missionary the Lord wants me to become!

These are the "goons" (Hayes's word) from the neighboring ward that we share a car with.

QUESTION TIME:

Okay, that’s a lot to answer!

Q. So how's the weather over there? 

A. I guess Hayes didn’t think that was a good question to answer because he left it blank! hahaha

Q. Have you finished cleaning your apartment yet? hahaha 

A. No i haven’t finished cleaning it, but i got some comet today for the sink and bathtub!

Q. Have you met any members of your ward that you just love!? 

A. Yes! A family called the Haughts. They are just incredible people, they are a recent convert/less active family and they say we were called here to baptize the rest of their family and reunite them as well!

Q. Are you in Jeffy's nephew's ward, I think his name is Brit?

A. he was for a week or two but i dont think he is permanently in this ward

Q. Is Andy Reed in your ward?

A. no he’s not

Q. Have you gotten any letters from your friends or family yet?

A. ive gotten letters from a few people like you and dad and Savannah and Brady and Vanessa and Karissa 

Q. Can you access missionary blogs so you can see what your friends are up to on their missions? I foreworded you one from everyone! Accept Brady doesn't have one. 

A. keep forwarding them to me its better and easier for me!

Q. Is everything we got you for your mission working out?

A. everything but the back pack, i am supposed to not wear a back pack anymore, only satchels 

Q. Your clothes? 

A. my cloths are great!

Q. luggage? 

A. is awesome!

Q. Camel pack?

A. works amazing but im not really even supposed to have it

Q. Shoes? 

A. shoes are great 

Q. Do you have enough hangers? 

A. didnt even have to use mine in the appartment

Q. Did you have to get a bike yet? (just saw your bank account. I take it you got a bike! hahahah)

A. yes i got a bike and have asked sister rich about it lol

Q. How do you get around in this area?

A. mainly walk because we dont have any miles and we share a car and my comps kinda lazy when it comes to physically working

Q. Did you get an electric razor?  

A. No

Q. Do you still want one? yes

Q. Do you want dad to pick one out for you and send it? 

A. that’d be awesome! 

What a coincidence!

July 24, 2013

What a Coincidence?

I sent another questionnaire for Hayes to answer:

On the day Hayes entered the MTC, there were 896 missionaries that arrived that day. It was 4 short of the record!

Q. Was the airport full of missionaries the day you flew out?

A. Yes! We had a group of 100 missionaries flying to different places that day. 

Q. How many missionaries did you fly out with to Missouri? 

A. 23 went to Missouri

Q. What did you do your first day in Missouri?

A. We visited Liberty Jail and the temple, then had meetings and interviews until 12:30. 

What a coincidence!

Q. Who is your first companion/trainer?

A. Elder Crowton. His dad was BYU's football coach a few years back. (Elder Crowton's sister was a BYU gymnast Haylee's freshman year. Haylee just saw Tara recently and they were chatting about how their little brothers could end up being companions! LOL Never thought they would be each other's FIRST companions!)

Q. Where is he from?

A. Louisiana

Q. How long has he been out?

A. 3 months

Q. What was it like meeting President and Sister Keyes? 

A. It was awesome, and I hope I get the chance to work with him more closely. 

Q. What is your first apartment like? OR do you live with members?

A. It's a luxury apartment but super dirty, so I've been cleaning it!

Q. How many elders do you live with?

A. 1 just my companion

Q. Do you have to wait to open your letters until P-Day or can you read letters the day you get them?

A. I read letters the day I get them and answer them the day I get them. 

Q. What was your first meal in Independence?

A. Some turkey steak thing! Made by Sister Keyes. It was pretty good!

It's a Small World

It's a Small World

July 21, 2013

Sunday, Scott got a text from his friend Jeff Garrett. We have known Jeffy since before we were married! Hayes and their son JT have been friends since birth. Jeffy just happened to be visiting his Brother-in-law, Andy Reid, the coach for the Kansas City Chiefs football team, in Kansas City. They went to church with his nephew and low and behold, who does he see in this ward in Missouri... Elder Hayes Calvert Rollins! hahahaha Hayes said Jeffy looked like a hobo in his street clothes and bearded face! bahahahaha He almost didn't recognize him! LOL Jeffy said Elder Rollins looked good! :)

Then I arrived at church and Sister Bunker caught me and began to ask if we knew that Chris and Kerri Church moved to Independence, MO. The church family used to be in our ward! I did know that they had moved to MO and thought at some point Hayes might get to see them. Well, she told me that Brother Church is the ward mission leader of his ward and Hayes is one of his missionaries serving in his ward! hahahaha It is a small world in the church! 

EMAIL #4

JULY 22, 2013

President Keyes is an amazing man! i love him! the spirit is incredibly strong with him! i wish that i got to work with him more closely! so this week has been a good week! we worked hard and did a lot, but we also slacked off one day, then the Lord taught us that if we waste his time, he'll waste our time! but he didn’t waste all of it. i said a prayer to my self repenting of being idol and the next house we went to the people were home, we read a chapter of the Book of Mormon with them and then we prayed with them!

Throughout the whole Book of Mormon the prophets are always calling the people to repentance, so ive made it a personal goal to sincerely repent of all my misdeeds and things, every night and also repent about the things that we could have done and to make better choices so that i can always have the Spirit with me!

my teaching is getting way better! im a little behind in the pace i wanna be at so i have to work a little harder in my personal studies so i can get them passed off!

Love you mom!! 

Haylee!!!!! im glad camps went well! thanks for emailing me!! i love hearing from you!  im glad one of us is strong and fit! i only have 30 minutes a day to work out and have no equipment! ive lost like 20lbs since my heaviest, im weighing in the high 140s now :( my shirts don’t need the collar extender any more... im still fast and strong tho! i feel myself  getting more ripped, im being careful on what i eat cuz i dont want to gain fat weight! im starting to get to that point where it looks like im training for wrestling again.  i love hearing from you and really love hearing that things are going well! 

Love your little brother!

i’ve learned fast the work is increasing and people are ready to hear our message! the lord will guide us to those that want to hear us and then if we have the spirit they will accept and be baptized! theres no way we can keep up with the spirit! it works hard and fast! but if we work as hard as we can, the spirit will bless us with incredible things!  

love and miss you! 

your son!

-Elder Rollins

He made it to Missouri!

July 15, 2013

NEW ARRIVALS!

This picture was taken in front of 
the Kansas City, MO temple. 

Isn't this temple just beautiful?

What a blessing it is to have a temple in his mission.  

Email #3

July 15, 2013

thanks for the pics! ive kinda been home sick lately! so it was good to see you and dad! ive been trying to keep my home sickness away by listening to the music on my ipod cuz it always reminds me of you!!

hahah yes i recieved the package it was amazing! next time just send me healthy stuff cuz we never get anything healthy. all members feed us is garbage and i’m kinda sick of it! this week is going to be kinda an expensive week on my card! so just letting you know now!

send the letter to the mission home and they will automatically forward it to me! thats what they have asked us to do, so just do that?

thanks for the package! it made my week! the Calypso was an awesome surprise! thank you for the cleaning stuff. our apartment was a freaking pig stye!! but its already looking better! mom! you should be proud of how much cleaning and stuff i've got done! i think i’ve got some pics of what the apartment looks like and the pic is only half of how bad it actually looked! i’ll send you pics of how clean it is when me and my companion Elder Crowton are done cleaning it, feel free to send me ANY CLEANING SUPPLIES that you can! it’s made me very home sick seeing how messy it was and made me miss you like crazy!! to stop missing you, i’ve been listening to The Work and Calee Reed! the last 2 songs really remind me of you and have been helping me not miss you a lot!

It's nice to know that Hayes NOW appreciates 

my desire for cleanliness! hahahaha 

so my favorite 2 experiences this week are tracting because we knocked 7 doors, 3 people answered and we got 2 return appointments! hahahah it was a tracting miracle! according to my trainer.

so the second most memorable experience is that we did service for an old lady that we thought was only going to take an hour or so but ended up taking 5 hours and then she fed us and when she feed us she told us how she wanted to be a saint in the catholic church and that she only needed to have one more miracle to do so! and then she blessed all of us and gave my comp an i a cross and a WWJD bracelet lol!

so i have set a goal to  accomplish all that's required of me to be a trainer before the beginning of the next transfer because i don't like being a junior comp and have no idea what to do or have any control... that might be bad and i love my trainer but i think there is so much more that we could be doing for these people than what he is allowing us to do! so pray that i cant make it through these next six weeks. so the normal span of training is 12 weeks i’m going to try to get that all done in 6!! i haven’t been very good at memorizing things in the past but i have learned that with the Lord all things are possible and i’ve already gotten done with the 1st two weeks of stuff within the first 5 days of being here! if i can keep on that pace ill be teaching and preaching along side my companion with all the knowledge that a missionary is supposed to have. i can definitely tell the spirit apart from other things and can feel when i’m trying to teach and when the spirit is teaching through me. its incredible!! i have much to learn but i know with the Lords help i can do anything!!

I wanna tell you about the 4 major spiritual things that changed my life, so far, those would be: Being baptized, EFY, trek, TEMPLE and MISSION. 

1st thing was meeting the Rich family! They have helped shape me into the man I am today. Brady was my best friend for the longest time and I long to see him again like no other and me and him will be life long friends that know we can count on each other for anything!! His mom and dad are like my 2nd parents and leaving them was almost as hard as leaving my mother and father because I respect and love them so much and Taylor has been the little brother I’ve always wanted to have!

2nd would be wrestling!! It has helped me create the work ethic that I have now! It has given me drive to be able to do anything hard because I can’t think of anything that’s more physically exhausting/mentally exhausting or more demanding in any way, shape or form. Like Dan Gable said "Once you’ve, wrestled everything else in life is easy." I truly believe that statement! I’ts helped me understand that the work I put in, is equivalent to what I’ll get out of it.

3rd, my relationship with Ashleigh, both from the beginning of us dating to learning how to love and be in a relationship, to when it ended and actually learning how to make a relationship work well and understanding that it really is a 2 way street and that I have a long way to go before I can really be good at developing and having a great relationship whether it be with family members or friends or with a girlfriend. 

4th, my friendship with Devin Delvecchio. He helped me to push through things I didn’t know I could do. I attribute a lot of my humility and being the man I’ve changed into from last year to this year, to him. He taught me how to be my self again and that I can work hard and have fun. He showed me that I should put myself out there and good things will happen because I am who I am and stick heavily to the things I believe he is also a man that I can count on to help get me through thick and thin.

Love you all and will talk to you next week!!!

MTC PICS

July 15th

A Few Pics From the MTC

The caption Hayes had on this picture was

"Me and my brothers, serving the Lord!"

Elder Preston Ferrell (Hayes's home ward) and 

Elder Alex Berthelson (a good friend from the North Canyon Ward) Together at the MTC.

Sister Maggie McKinney is a friend from Ocala, Florida. She will be serving in Brazil. 

Answers to my questions :)

July 8, 2013

QUESTIONS, ANSWERED.

When I wrote Hayes during his first week, I sent him one page full of questions and left space for him to answer the questions and send the paper back in a self-addressed stamped envelope hoping that would expedite the letter! :) A brilliant idea I stole from my very smart mother. hahahaha

Mom:  What was your first day at the MTC like?

Elder Rollins:  CRAZY! We got shown around real quick then taken to class and then to a welcoming meeting and never had time to look back!

Mom:  Was it wat you expected, or not?

Elder Rollins:  More or less. Yes, it was what I was expecting. 

Mom:  Who is your first companion?

Elder Rollins:  Elder Bell

Mom:  What is he like?

Elder Rollins:  Gabe Dominguez! LOL (Gabe was one of Hayes's wrestling teammates in high school)

Mom: Where is he from?

Elder Rollins:  UTAH

Mom:  Where will he serve?

Elder Rollins:  Independence! :)

Mom:  Have you seen anyone you know at the MTC?

Elder Rollins:  Preston, Alex & Tanner Field.

Hayes has trouble sleeping...

Mom: How did you sleep your first night?

Elder Rollins:  Like a baby.

Mom:  What are the BEST things about being at the MTC?

Elder Rollins:  The Spirit is constantly there and the family bond we have formed. 

Email #2: Actually, THIS was the first email home.

July 6, 2013

Actually, THIS was the first email home. :)

EMAIL #2

So It’s like day 3 and my p-day will be on Saturdays! So the spirit here is ridiculous! I love it here and wish I had more than 2 weeks! My district is awesome! We have clicked so fast and really have a love for each other! My companion Elder Bell and I are very in tune with each other! the spirit is really helping us! So our room mates are going with us to Independence but they are the only ones in our entire zone! I thinks it’s going to be hard to leave them, especially Elder T. Remind me to tell you about him later! His spirit is incredible and he has a love of the Savior and this gospel like none other! So we just put our laundry in and we have time set apart to email you after we have done that!!

Oh yeah! So me and my companion were called to be the the zone leaders!!!! following in my best friends footsteps! We have not had the opportunity to meet our branch president because he has been outta town this week!

Yesterday was the first time we have had time to work out or have gym time! It was great! The elders in my zone and I were able to play some basketball! We have a pretty athletic group of guys!

There is no contention here which is one reason why I think the spirit is so strong.

yesterday one of the branch presidency came down to our rooms and talked to a few of us. He told us that when they told him that the missionaries in his branch were going to be here only 2 weeks instead of the 3 that they used to be, that he thought well, these elder are going to have to learn very quick!! I have already seen the lord bless our minds that it can be quickened so that we can learn all that we need in the 2 weeks we are here. The lord has blessed me so much these last few days that its incredible! I know that the only way that I could have learned this much so quickly was through the spirit and I am learning to rely on the spirit more and more as each day passes so that I can increase my knowledge, my faith, and my understanding of my purpose of a missionary and how to be the best I can be!

Our branch president told us this story about a cadet in the army that’s really strengthened me. So all the cadets were leaving around the same time. They all got to boot camp and realized that each day there were rankings given by their commanding officers and that they would have and opportunity to be the commanders themselves. So everyday they would check the rankings and everyday the same cadet was in the lead. The scores were accumulative and by the end of the month, his score blew everyone elses outta the water. When they got back from their camp he was interviewed about being the number one cadet and when asked how he did it he said, "it was easy. I just made sure that everyday each commanding officer had their best day ever." So this showed me that we need to make sure that our companion has their best day everyday and that will lead us to be the best companion we can be. That applies to you in work, in your marriage, in any relationship. Make sure everyone around you has their best day ever and you will be the best companion any one can ask for!

I love you dad!!! and miss you a lot! Wish me luck in my teachings and learnings. You’re in my prayers! Know that I love you and God loves you!!

Talk to you next week!

I sent this to dad last week so can you make sure he gets it??????????

First Email Home

July 6, 2013

FINALLY! First Email Home. :)

EMAIL #1

The MTC is incredible!! We were all kinda getting unfocused early this week so we held a zone meeting and discussed how we need to get back on track!! My Zone is amazing!! I call it my zone because I’m the zone leader. I don’t remember if I told you that or not!! But it has just been the coolest thing in the world! I get to work with President Terry and Brother Heyward and Brother Lauritxen a lot and they have really helped me change into a missionary that I feel you could be proud of! The best part about this has been watching the camaraderie and the brotherhood that has formed between all of us!! The spirit is incredulous. If I wasn’t here I wouldn’t believe how strong it is! I feel like we are in a time zone where the rules of time don’t apply to us because we have learned enough material that would take me 2 years to learn else where but the Lord has allowed me to learn it in 1 week!

I have seen Alex, Preston, Tanner Field, Wyatt’s friend in Utah that went camping with me! and Maggie McKennie, from Florida!! So Preston broke his leg... he’s fine and is not going home!

Alex's girlfriend died in a car accident last week and I finally got to see him the 4th of July! and we got to talk and sit next to each other in the devotional! I had been praying for him to be strengthened and that he wouldn’t loose hope and that I would be able to help him in some way! and that day in class we had a super spiritual lesson, so I already felt the spirit when I saw him and a swear the Lord was allowing me to feel his pain. I say this because a great sorrow over swept me and we cried together and we talked through some things and then he leaned over to me and whispered, “man, thank you.” You have been an answer to my prayers and he continued by saying, “I have been asking the Lord to strengthen me and seeing you has brought my hopes back. Right then and their I knew the spirit was there and helping both of us and testifying of the truth to us! Preston was also sitting behind us and my heart was just so freaking over joyed that I was crying and thanked the Lord for answering my prayers and my faith grew exponentially from that! I know that I’m moving in the right direction in fully converting my self again in the Lord. because in Mosiah 18 its talking about the saints being baptized and the part talking of conversion says, “yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; and comfort those that stand in need of comfort...” and the Lord allowed me to do that for Alex and increase both our faith!!

I also saw Savannah Frampton. She was having a tour from PRESIDENT NALLY WHO IS THE pRESIDENT of the MTC. and when I went over to them I got to meet him and shake his hand! He is incredible and full of the spirit! He is following what the Lord wants him to do! I could also feel the love he had for me in that instant! That was a really cool experience! Yesterday was incredible as well! We were in in-field orientation and it was and incredible 9 and a half hours!! but that has been the biggest help I’ve had up to this point! 

I love you mom and the Lord loves you! I pray for you every night!

-Elder Rollins

Elder Rollins Spotted at the MTC

July 3, 2013

Spotted at the MTC! 

Today was a fun day! I received a text from Hayes's friend Savannah. 

Savannah:  Hi Sister Rollins! This is Savannah Frampton!! :) I have a surprise for ya ;)

Me:  You do, do yah?! hahahaha

Savannah: Yup!! I ran into someone I think you know!!

Me: Where are you at? 

Savannah:  Hayes says hello!! He says he has a letter for you he just needs to send it!

Me:  Hahahaha! Oh My Gosh! Where are you? How did you see him? Call me if you can!! :)

Savannah:  My great uncle is the MTC president so he let me and my family in for a tour! We ran into Hayes while we were in the mess hall for lunch! :) He just left to go curbside and help all the new missionaries arriving!

Me:  AWSOME! That's so cool!! Thank you for letting me know and sending me those pictures! Made my day!!! :)

Savannah:  Great running into him. He absolutely LOVES it here! Said it was the best week of his life and he's so close to his district he considers them family! He's the zone leader of his zone!! He cannot wait to get out into the field. :))

Me:  That is SO cool! He's in his element! LOL

Savannah: Oh ABSOLUTELY :) It's fantastic here :)

Savannah & Elder Rollins in the mess hall at the MTC.

It's official! He's got the name tag and everything!:)

Elder Rollins and his companion going curbside 

to welcome incoming missionaries. 

He was really hoping he would get to do this while he was in the MTC.

His friend Maggie McKinney enters the MTC today! 

Maybe he will get to see her. :) 

First Letter from Elder Rollins. :)

July 2, 2013

First letter from Elder Rollins!

Mom & Dad,
This will be brief! I love you guys! I have a lot to learn before I leave in two weeks. The Facers are awesome! I feel like they are family! I've already felt the spirit a ton, it's incredulous! (That's his word) I love my comp. Love my roommates! Love you guys and miss you already. Love, Elder Rollins.