Childhood

I was raised in a non-Christian home in Tucson, Arizona during the baby boom era of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Even as a child I had always been attracted to a belief in God.

Attending a summer Bible class that neighbors held for the kids in the neighborhood, the stories about God enthralled me. When they gave me a tiny book with some Bible verses, I treasured it. I tried to keep it a secret from my parents. But one day they discovered me reading it, but instead of getting angry, they just said, “That’s good.”

I started the habit of praying on occasion or when in need. But with no support or guidance, I lost the spiritual bearings that I had, and I drifted intellectually and morally.

Dark teenage years

My high school years were tumultuous, as I lost my way into the drug scene. No good came from it. But after about three years of bad experiences, I resolved to abandon it all and look for the truth, whatever that might entail. I took several different roads to try to find God.

Eastern religious thought and meditation was one road. These teachings claimed that I could achieve a state of inner peace and oneness with God by clearing my mind and chanting my mantra (repeating a word over and over again). But before long, I realized that this was like treating God as an impersonal force with no intelligence, emotion, or beauty.

After a year of practicing this, my meditations started becoming more like prayers. Something inside me yearned for a relationship with God, not a procedure. At one point I prayed, “God, if you are real, please reveal yourself to me.” That became the prayer I made consistently for about a year.

Coming to Faith

My freshman year at the University of Arizona (U of A) someone invited me to a Christian fellowship. I began studying the Bible with several young Christian men. After being introduced to the claims of Jesus, I embraced the gospel—and a relationship with the living God through Christ was born.

Instead of a procedure, prayer suddenly became conversation with a personal God. Worship became passionate, and the study of God’s Word came alive. Philosophical discussions became invigorating, interesting, and challenging. And science became awe-inspiring.

As confirmation that I had found the truth, there were times I strongly sensed the presence of God, not just somewhere “out there,” but in my life and indwelling my physical body. I felt an indescribable joy and peace from God’s Spirit. I knew that for the first time in my life I had come to experience the reason for which I was created: communion with the Creator.

Ministry

As a young believer I led Bible studies with friends, seekers, and anyone who was interested. I regularly visited the parks to meet people and engage them in conversations about God.

As my knowledge of Scripture increased, I taught the Bible in various small group settings. In the late 1970’s, I served for several years in a homeless ministry, run out of the Vineyard, a ministry located near the U of A. We took in the homeless, provided meals, and helped some in their search for employment. In the evenings we shared the gospel with them.

While a college student, I also went on a number of short-term mission trips to Latin America. I made several trips to Guatemala to help rebuild homes after a devastating earthquake in 1976. By the early 1980’s the Vineyard was a young, vibrant church. I served as an elder there for a number of years.

What Does Hydrology Have to Do With God?

Several years after receiving an undergrad degree in geosciences from the U of A, I started working for Tucson Water in their hydrology section. I became trained in groundwater hydrology, specializing in the development of groundwater resources. During this time, I met Nancy Hungerford during a Bible study I was leading, and she became my wife.

In 1988, Nancy and I sensed God was calling us to serve as full-time missionaries to underprivileged peoples. After taking several exploratory mission trips, we committed to serve the Tarahumara Indians in a remote area of the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico.

Water development work

From my time at Tucson Water, I learned how water wells are drilled. I was able to use that knowledge to modify and operate a small rotary drill rig that was available to the Mission. I used this to provide clean potable water for small communities throughout the region.

There was no electricity, running water, or consistent medical care in the area. So it was a challenge to bring my wife, two young boys and daughter to live there. The infant mortality was as high as 50 % due to water-born and hygiene related diseases in these villages.

We constructed a number of potable water wells in one community, and saw infant mortality rates there go down significantly even during the years we worked there.

Reaching out to the community

As a nutritionist, my wife worked in a medical clinic helping mothers and their severely malnourished babies and children. We also spent considerable time in evangelism, church planting, and training indigenous church leaders.

This work was the most challenging work we had ever been engaged in, both physically and emotionally. Every stay in these remote villages involved encounters with sick or injured people asking for our help. We provided whatever emergency treatments we were capable of giving. Many times, we were forced to take people the nearest hospital, which was three hours away on a dangerous primitive mountain road.

During times of drought or scarcity, hungry people came to us for food, and there were other requests to meet a variety of needs. Added to these were the responsibilities of carrying out a well drilling project in a difficult terrain and raising a family. So, it all brought my wife and I to the limit of our capabilities. After eight years we were ready for a rest.

Back in the U.S.

After returning to the U.S., I had an opportunity to continue helping indigenous peoples protect and develop their water resources. I accepted a hydrology job with the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation, a Native American tribe located in southern Arizona.

First, I provided technical assistance in the negotiation of the tribe’s water rights. Later, I helped develop a natural method to recharge the aquifer with the District’s allocation of Colorado River water. I was also involved in developing and implementing a plan for reclaiming and revegetating disturbed mine lands on the reservation. I worked for them for almost 22 years until retiring in January 2019.

Retirement

I am now enjoying retirement immensely, more than I thought I ever would. I spend much of my time doing what I enjoy most: ministering to people and sharing God’s Word through a variety of outlets, including writing. Through the years I became proficient in technical writing. I now want to use that skill for a greater purpose — that of leading people to faith in God.

I now minister part-time to international students in Tucson. My wife and I conduct conversational English classes to international students. We also meet with students for Bible study during the week, and then participate in a weekly meeting of the International Student Fellowship, where students hear Bible teachings, learn worship songs, and play games.

Many international students come to faith while studying in the U.S. The number of international believers has grown but they face many challenges to spiritual growth. Many have a basic faith but lack good Bible teaching to help them solidify that faith. To aid in this, I had some of my teachings translated into other languages. I’m hoping that ministry opportunities to internationals will expand.

Christ is our Goal and our Center

The projects and ministries I have been involved in have mostly been behind the scenes, out of view of the large crowds. I am not a famous person and never will be, but my main goal in life is still to spread the fame of Jesus Christ. Using the skills and tools God has given me, I want to help others understand Christ and to love and serve him. The articles in this website reflect the content generated from over 50 years of teaching the Bible in various ministries.

So, the question: Who is Scott Rogers? is actually not an important one. The important question is: Who is Jesus Christ, and what is your relationship to him? I’m hoping that by reading these articles, you will come to know him personally and your faith in him will grow more than ever before.

For those who already know Christ as Savior and Lord, my prayer is that these teachings will deepen your understanding of God’s Word. And may they lead you to an ever deeper knowledge of Christ and a more fruitful walk with him.

Who Is Scott Rogers