The Christmas Spirit hasn't left me.

Dear Family,
I thought it would have been trivial to e-mail you since I just Skyped with you yesterday, but then I remembered there is a whole bunch of stuff I wanted to say. First of all, to explain the service project we did last week, we went to an orphanage and shoveled out the snow from one of their playgrounds. There was a lot of snow, and there was a little stage area which was covered in ice. Elder Patton stepped on it, and fell flat on his back! He is okay but it was kinda funny. So we shoveled snow, and the sisters washed walls. There is this thing in Russia, that girls do not shovel snow or do work like that. The sisters were a little irritated that they couldn't shovel snow like us, but they were grateful to serve nonetheless. I wish I took pictures, because that was a very fun service activity. That's the thing, service with the proper attitude becomes fun! Service with a smile!

For P-Day last week, we made sugar cookies and decorated them with frosting. It reminded me of the cookies that we would have every Christmas at home, and it was very fun to make them. We made them for some of the members, and they really liked them!

Bolshoi Theater

Then we also had a culture night last week...as we saw the Russian Ballet perform the Nutcracker! The theater in Novosibirsk is the largest in the country, and the architect was killed for making it bigger than the theater in Moscow. For your information, the theater is called the Bolshoi Theater, or the "Big Theater". It is like Sputnik, which means "satellite". Very imaginative names. It was very beautiful inside the theater, I hope you can see the pictures well. There are a bunch of statues inside. I would have taken a closer picture, but then I don't think they would be "missionary appropriate". The Nutcracker was amazingly done, and it was awesome to see a Russian Ballet performed with a Russian Ballet company in a Russian theater in the heart of Russia! How Russian can you get? One of our favorite parts was when the Japanese dancers came on, and one guy jumped about 5 feet in the air and touched his toes in front of him. Imagine sitting down with your legs in front of you, touching your toes, and then doing it 5 feet in the air over 20 times in a row...exhausting doesn't it sound? The dancer had a roar of applause when he performed that stunt. Watching the Nutcracker made me miss the Folk Dance Team and all the musicals that I did in high school.

Then for Christmas, we woke up about 5:30 in order to get ready and go over to the Webb's apartment. They fed us breakfast and we Skyped home. If you want to share any tidbits, Mommy, you have my permission. (Mommy insert here:  It was amazing to hear Aaron bear his testimony in Russian. He sounds so fluent in the language, and the Spirit was so strong.  He looked wonderful!  It was the best Christmas present ever to see and hear him, and that every family member got to talk to him.)  Then we went to church. In Russia, they celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January with Father Frost instead of Santa Claus. It was different to us, because we celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December. But then I thought, "It doesn't matter which day you celebrate Christmas, because both are wrong anyway!" It was a little funny to think, because we know that Christ was born in April, but it doesn't really matter, because Christ deserves both holidays, and even more.

There was an amazing feeling at church, because the members still sort of celebrated Christmas on that day. They gave out candies and other goodies to us, saying "Снём Рожденством" Which is the Russian way of saying Merry Christmas. One of the inactive members we taught actually came to church, and it was wonderful to see everyone come to her and envelope her in love. I could actually see the action of enveloping, and I almost got smothered myself. It was pretty much a Christmas miracle to us, and it was very happy.

We had a Christmas party at the Mission Home, and the Gibbons gave everyone a picture frame, which I sent a picture of...cool, huh? (There is this website, called wordle.com, or something like that, and you can type any verse, poem, and it will make a word cloud and the bigger the word, the more common the word was used in the typing. It also omits words, such as "and" or "the" President Gibbons said it was very cool for patriarchal blessings. So mom, could you put my patriarchal blessing through it for me? It would be very cool, and an awesome birthday present.) So it is all the missionaries in our mission and the cities where we serve.

 

Then after that, we had a little Christmas devotional, where President Gibbons told us that he just recently heard that one of his books that he sent to be published before his mission was accepted. He was really excited, because the book is a collection of journal entries from his father, who worked closely with the Presidency of the Church for many years. You should try to look for it, mom, because it sounds really good.

Christmas Day in the Mission Home with Pres. Gibbons

We then had some fun, and a white elephant gift exchange. I got a can of sardines and some hand warmers. One of the worst gifts was a jar of Kopeks, which are the coins that make up roubles. There were over 500 coins, and about 150 roubles, which is about 9 dollars. There are no coin counting machines in Russia also, so the only place to take those is the bank. That's not going to be fun. The white elephant gift I gave was the best, I found this cheap Justin Beiber doll at a little road shop. It was so funny, and everyone was laughing for a long time. An Elder got the doll, which just made it the best.

 

Now the greatest thing is the man who is in the picture with me. His name is Georgi, and you make the "Guh" sound on the G's. He was baptised Christmas Eve and confirmed Christmas day. He personally told all of us to tell all of you that he knows the church is true, and that he knows that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He promises you that he will stay active in the church for the rest of his life, and that he is grateful for the church and the direction it gives him in his newly started life. I have only met him at his baptism, and I have rarely seen such a devoted member. He is an example to all of us about how we should behave towards the church. We all are missionaries, even those without tags, and we should be proud to be members. He is such a nice man, and I wanted to make sure all of you knew that he has a testimony of this Church.

Georgi

The Christmas Spirit doesn't seem to have left me. I listened to the tape you sent in my package. I was amazed at the testimonies and was humbled as you told the blessings you have received because I am thousands of miles away. I have a lot of work to do, and I hope my work will be acceptable. I don't feel homesick from talking to my family, but rather I have a greater resolve to share the gospel, because I know it's true, and my family knows it's true. I love you all, and I was so grateful to see you and talk to you.

Merry Christmas to all, and a Happy New Year!

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

I am Skyping at 6:00 PM on Christmas Eve

I am going to be Skyping Christmas morning, Dec. 25th at 8:00 AM, which puts it at 6:00 PM for you on Christmas Eve.  I am so excited to see and talk to everyone.  I can't wait to see how big the grandkids are! 

So what happened this week?

WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLL....

Last Monday, on P-day, we were playing football in the snow. The very first pass, Elder Patton on the opposing team, the ball is passed to him, I try to intercept it from behind, but the ball slips through Elder Patton's fingers, and hits me right in the face, knocking my glasses off. My face got all swollen and red, my lip was swollen and bleeding, and I wish I had a picture. I wanted a black eye, but no such luck. All was well the next morning. My glasses frames broke, but the miracle of Super Glue came to the rescue, but there is still a big chip in the frame. No damage to the lenses, thank goodness!

I was wearing my big heavy coat I bought a few months back, and oh my GOSH it is hot! The hood is really good, because it takes the wind chill off, and the coat is full of down, so I feel like a giant marshmallow.

We met with Anton this week, and began teaching him the commandments. He is very into fitness, so he doesn't smoke, or drink. He speaks pretty good English, and he keeps saying, "It is easy. The commandments are 1st class," or like kindergarten. I wonder what he will think when we start talking about tithing and Sabbath day observance. Will it still be 1st class?

Then Wednesday, we met with an inactive member. She is little бабушка (Babooshka or grandma. Teach the grandchildren that for me! Grandpa is Дедушка (Dedooshka)). She is an amazing painter. She has actually sold paintings, and they are really pretty. She treated us to some fine Russian dining, namely the fabled холодец (halla-detz). Dad, this is a dish I hope you will never make. Pretty much it is jello, but it is made of fat and pig parts. The jello is lard....then there are meat chunks...it is salty, and she said it wasn't as salty as she would like...it was horrible. That was by far the most disgusting thing I have ever eaten, and I hope to never eat again. I knew about холодец  at the MTC, but I still wanted to eat some, just to say that I have eaten it. My companion didn't know what it was, and she gave him an extra helping...Poor him.

We were in a splits, so I was with an Elder Hyde. We had nothing planned for the evening, so we decided to go tracting. In Russia, the apartments are locked with what is known as a domaphone. You key in the house number on this pad, and you can talk to them on a phone that is built in the apartment. They can allow you into the apartment building by pushing a button on the phone. The challenge is getting someone to let you in. Once you are in, you can knock on all the apartment doors. Most people don't really open the doors, but ask through who you are. The first instance, we finally got in, and we knocked on a door at the very top. This old lady spoke, and she demanded to know what we wanted. When she heard we were missionaries, she told us to leave. We were leaving,walking down the stairs, and then she opened the door, and demanded to know who let us in the apartment. We didn't know who it was, and she demanded why we knocked on her door. She seemed to not believe that we were missionaries. I walked up to tell her what we were here for and she told me to not move further. She was angry, and demanded us to leave, we did, and left quickly as she was knocking on another person's door. It was a wonderful experience.

The best part about this week was the Christmas program. It reminded me of home, and I took care to take pictures. I hope you like them! It was so cute to hear the primary children singing the Nativity Song. Elder Patton and I were part of the choir, and the pictures were from the choir seats. The nativity was very well done, and it was wonderful to think that thousands of miles away, my family would do the same thing. It was almost exactly like ours, and I even think they attempted to use a real baby for the Christ Child!

I am excited to see you all, and to see how much the kids have grown.

Christmas is a very special holiday for me, and even being far away from home, I grow in love for the holiday. I have family here in Novosibirsk, and I don't feel homesick at all. The places and people may be different, but the Savior and His love for us is still the same everywhere. That is all that matters, for it is His birth that we celebrate.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas! С днём Рождество (S-gnome Rozh-dect-vo)

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

You can find answers in the Temple

For Christtmas, it will be very difficult to know for sure what time I can call. People in Russia don't celebrate Christmas like we do. Their Christmas is the New Year, not the 25th. We will be having a full Church services on that day. I am pretty sure that we will be doing that about 8:00 at night, YOUR time. I don't know if we will be doing skype or what. I promise you that I will find out this week. It has just been a really crazy week, with going to Finland for a while. I haven't been in the area for a while.

Dear Family, I am sorry you didn't get my first e-mail, so I sent it. I just have to say that this week was really crazy. I did in fact go to Finland, and I got to perform baptisms and endowments, which was very spiritually uplifting. I am vowing that when I get home, I will make an effort to go to the temple as much as I can. I can testify that any question or problem that you have, you can find the answer in the temple. I had questions about how to be a better missionary, and a better trainer, and I received my answers in the temple.

We actually met missionaries for the Yekaterinburg mission as well there. It was their visa trip, and it was really cool to talk to them. Mom, if you remember someone by the last name of Copp, or Kopp, just sounds like "Cop", he went to E.G King elementary. He remembers your name. This just shows how small a world this planet is. What are the odds that I would meet someone going to a different mission, and meet in another country, and we have connections?...amazing...

So we spent a while in Finland, just the same things. I sent a package, too. It has the soda can nativity, and Britton's present. The hardback book is a (Ежедневник) "Yeh-zhuh-nyev-nik" or a daily planner. People use these books as journals, and to write stories down. It is very popular in Russia. The two books are two fairytale books. I didn't have time to translate them, But one of them is about a pirate in Africa who eats little children..."Barmalei". I will have to translate them when I get home. Then there is a CTR ring in Russia. I wanted to get one for all the grandkids, but they didn't have that many at the Distribution center in Finland.

So, we went to the zoo during a P-Day, and it was very fun! That was the first time I have ever seen a liger, and a siberian tiger. It was awesome!  I hope the grandkids like the pictures. (That sign is about the Liger, or Лигр "Lee-gur")  We were so close to the animals, and we were even playing with them. No, we were not doing anything dangerous, just moving about outside the cage, and they would follow us. It was very funny and fun.

For one of our new finding activities, we had a movie night, and we showed "Finding Faith in Christ" we had invitations and we gave them out. We were planning to use a projector, but at last minute, the projector wasn't in the place one of the members told us it would be. So we had to watch it on a small tv. It was pretty successful, and we got a new contact out of it. Our mission president wants us to try new finding activities, and our minds are buzzing with new ideas.

My favorite Christmas memory, you can pick out of the two in case one of them takes mine. The first is the ice rings. We would fill bundt pans with colored water, and then freeze them to rings of colored ice. Then we would place them aroud our ancestors' graves, place candles in the centers, and then sing Christmas carols around the grave. I just remember it being a very peaceful and sacred moment to me, to know that we will see them again, and that death is not the end.

I love how we collect nativities (with a new addition from "me") and then we decide to secretly give a Nativity scene piece by piece to someone who might be in need. It was fun to drive up to a person's house, sneak to the doorstep, place the Nativity piece in front of the door, ring the doorbell, and then run into the car, and drive away. It was even fun when I would hide and hear the kids as they came to the door. It made me really think about what I was giving. What greater gift was given, than the Savior to atone for our sins, and make it possible for all of us to return to live with our Heavenly Father? That is by far the greatest gift.

I love you all.

I pray for you, and I hope you pray for us.

This gospel is true.

Heavenly Father is always watching over us.

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

Hopeth all things....

Okay, here are the answers to your questions.
1. I accidentally forgot my camera at the apartment, so I can't send pictures. I also forgot to send pictures of Thanksgiving...I know that I am a forgetful son, so I am really sorry. I really wanted to send pictures.
2. That coat I bought a few months ago is awesome, and I have kept it in my bags. It hasn't gotten too FREEZING cold yet, and so I don't want to get it out unless I need it. I have sometimes used my pea coat, and it works just fine! I am keeping very warm and very happy.
3. I am actually going to Finland on Wednesday, and I will send Britton a present then. I hope he will like it. I found a place in Novosibirsk where they hand-paint matroshka dolls, and the senior couple, the Huffakers, got a nativity set painted. I don't know how long it takes, so you will have to wait until next year. I hope to have the soda nativity done before I leave for Finland, but I don't know.
4. I just don't know what time I will be calling for Christmas right now, so I will figure that out today. So stay  tuned next week.
This week has been a really cool week.
It was my first Training Meeting. I just have to say at the very beginning,  I wasn't feeling good at all. We have had such a hard time with little success. I felt like a failure, pretty much. Then in the very beginning, President Gibbons shared Moroni 7 with us, and pausing in phrases, and naming missionaries for each line. He came to me, and the line was, "hopeth all things". I knew that this was an answer I wasn't looking for, but I still got it. Missionary work is hard, and you have to always hope, because this is the Lord's work. I felt that I needed to hope for all things, and that all will be well. Then the training got even better. We talked about finding people to teach and different ways to find them. In Moscow, a couple of sisters set up a table covered in a paper table cloth with a sign, saying, "If you could ask God one question, what would it be?" Then they had copies of the Book of Mormon out, and people flocked to write down questions and to talk to the missionaries. They showed how the Book of Mormon answered all their questions. They got a lot of contacts, and many people left with Books of Mormon. This just shows how small things can bring about great things.
Some missionaries in our mission came up with a family history presentation and they would go to people's apartments and give their presentation about how to do family history. The people of Russia are very proud of their heritage, and they love talking about their ancestors. That reminds me...Mom, could you send me a fully-filled out copy of our family history? The copy I have has pieces missing, such as places of birth, and dates when their ordinances were done. I want to be able to share my family history with others, and I have been trying to fill out a family history chart in Russian, so that others can read it and see my heritage.
Hey, brother Michael. I have a question. What kind of finding ideas did you have in Alaska? I am just thinking about how the climate is similar, so I might be able to do some of the same things.
What else? Well, we haven't had any high winds, but we have had snow and ice. I wish that I could say I have never fallen down, but I have...twice...all on the same day. People don't shovel their sidewalks very much, and a lot of the roads are always covered in snow. Sometimes you would see cars swerving all over the place on the main highways, and that would just freak me out. We were looking for some inactive members, and they lived in a sort of village-area. If you have ever seen those old wooden houses, that's what this neighborhood looked like. The roads were covered in snow and ice, but they were really dirt roads. There were also dogs EVERYWHERE. Michael had to worry about being eaten by bears, we have to worry about being eaten by packs of stray Siberian Huskies. It was awesome.
We had an amazing experience about the Book of Mormon, like you Mom. We were teaching our investigator, Antone, and we asked if he believed the Book of Mormon to be true and the word of God. The Spirit filled the room as he said "yes". A testimony of the Book of Mormon is so crucial and is the first step towards conversion. If the Book of Mormon is true, then everything else from the priesthood, Joseph Smith, the Church of Jesus Christ, Temples, are all true, if the Book of Mormon is true. One of my goals for this transfer is to read the Book of Mormon in Russian, which will be very hard, but I think will be worth it. The Book of Mormon is such a precious treasure, and I am so grateful that we can read it every day, and that it can give us guidance in our lives. The Book of Mormon has given me guidance as I am teaching people, and has given me comfort in times of trial.
I am grateful for being able to serve with Elder Patton again, and finish his training. He is an amazing Elder, and I think amazing things will happen. In testimony meeting, one member talked about Рождество (Rozhdestvo). This is Christmas is Russian, but is translated along the lines of "The Birth". The member testified that this is a season of miracles, and that we are the ones who make the miracles. President Gibbons testified to us that if we tried at least 2 new finding ideas, that miracles would occur. Elder Patton and I are really excited to try new finding ideas, such as a movie night we are having on Saturday. We are inviting people to watch Finding Faith in Christ, and I hope that it will be really effective.
So I love you all, and I pray for you. I have remembered many weeks ago when I realized how many people are praying for the missionaries. People praying in the temples, wards and branches, stakes, The First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, The Seventy, our families, my neices and nephews,  (Oh, is Sarah going to have a boy or a girl? I want to know!) All these people are praying for our success. With these many people behind us, we are not going out alone. Most importantly, Heavenly Father is with us. Now what could be scary about Russia with such a supportive group?
I love you all, and I wish you the happiest of joys.
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

What precious thing isn't worth fighting for?

So, mom, I am going to send things home when I go on my next visa trip to Finland, and I already bought the soda can. Russians don't drink canned soda a lot, so it is a 7-up can. But it is written in Russian! I haven't found a matroshka doll (Those Russian dolls) nativity, or any for that matter, but I will still keep looking.

How many e-mails have I sent since I first entered Russia? I don't know...

So this week has been a very interesting week. We didn't have many meetings, and many people who we planned to meet with canceled on us. Just so you know, the stories you hear about missionary work, they are like oasis's. They are amazing and beautiful, but people don't realize that there are deserts inbetween. Sometimes, there are days, even weeks where little happens. That's okay, because the greater the desert, the greater the oasis at the end. So this e-mail isn't me being discouraged, but being realistic, because missions are hard. They are the hardest things you will ever face, but the reward far outweighs the struggle. What precious thing isn't worth fighting for?


Blini breakfast

So for Thanksgiving, we all went to the Mission President's house and had a feast. The food was so good, and there was everything that is in a regular American thanksgiving, such as the canned cranberries. It was never Thanksgiving to me without that can-shaped pile of mashed cranberries plopped on a plate.Thanks for the recipe for cranberry salsa, Mom! Other people actually had cranberry salsa before, but Elder Patton had never had it. Everone loved it, especially Elder Patton. President Gibbons shared scriptures about what he was grateful for, which was his wife. It just made me think about when I get married. I am already planning to serve a mission with my wife. I thought it would be so wonderful to serve in Novosibirsk again, except as a senior couple. Senior missionaries are there to show the example of people who live the gospel. They have a spirit of years of experience, trial, and faith. None of them speak Russian, but people can feel their powerful spirits. How would it be to serve with that kind of experience and spirit, as well as speaking the language? That would be amazing.

One meeting was a total flop. We got a call from a contact, and I had no idea who it was. He says he wants to meet, and of course missionaries pounce upon that like a pride of lions upon a gazelle. We go to meet this person in their office, which was a very big and beautiful. We get in, and it was an old contact that I remembered. I was a little confused, but then he sits us down, and this woman next to him starts talking to us, trying to sell us this juice product. So yeah, we fell into a marketing trap. This is actually common, as people invite us to their houses, and they only want to sell us their products. It's funny, but irritating sometimes. We told the saleswoman that we are missionaries, and that we will never do business with any company while on a mission, but she was persistant, trying to sell us this juice that is supposed to make your life better...yeah, we have a product like that, and it's free! It's called the Gospel! Want some? So we just politely left, saying thank you for your time. Things like that just add a little funny to your missionary life.

That coat that was in the picture, it is called a dublonka (doo-blonkah) It is really warm, and so you don't have to worry about me, Mom. I am toasty warm all the time. The socks and thermals are doing the trick, 

One of the most wonderful things about serving a mission, is that you get to make the most amazing of friends. You have a real concern for the people you teach, not just because this is a mission, to declare repentance to a people, but you are concerned for them because you love them. One of the greatest indicators of being a successful missionary is loving those you serve. Heavenly Father specifically calls each missionary to a place where they are needed to go, in order to find and help specific people. In a city of over 1 million, and being one of the biggest cities in the largest country in the world, there had to be a reason. I love these people, and I am so glad to serve them. We really are all children of God, and He loves us so much.

Read the Book of Mormon, because it is literally the word of God.

Pray every day, to receive the blessings from a loving Heavenly Father.

Keep the commandments, because that is the only way to live with happiness.

Love everyone, because we are all children of God.

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

Oh! and tell Britton congratulations for losing the tooth!

Follow the Spirit

Elder Patton and Elder Hoggan

Thank you for the recipe for cranberry salsa! I can't wait to share it with the other missionaries at our Thanksgiving feast.  Well, here is a picture of Elder Patton and I.  As you can tell, it isn't great--but think how bad the rest of them were, if this was the best picture!

So it is VERY cold in Novosibirsk right now. It is about -8 degrees Celsius every day, which is about 17 degrees in Fahrenheit. The picture of me in the coat is my new coat. Elder Patton and I were cleaning out all the old junk in our apartment, and we found these awesome coats! We thought they were seal, but they aren't. They are very warm, and very cool looking. I feel so Russian in it.

So we had Zone conference, and President Lawrence, and his wife spoke to us. I believe he is the member of the Seventy over the Europe East Area. His wife is very knowledgeable in the Old Testament and about the House of Israel. She talked about the people here are of the House of Israel, and that those of this house most likely taught the Gospel in the Premortal life in the war of Heaven. So that is why some people accept the gospel so readily, because they were taught it in the life before.  

President Lawrence talked to us about how to teach more effectively, especially in asking people to make commitments. It is so important to commit people, because that is the only way that they will exercise faith and know that the Gospel is true. How can someone have a testimony of the Book of Mormon if they don't read it? That is a commitment.

Sister Gibbons also talked to us, and she committed us to clean our apartments. Missionaries kind of leave things in apartments, and this clutter builds up. The Spirit can't reside in unholy temples, and it is the same with unclean apartments. It is very important to keep things clean. That is what you can teach the kids. The Holy Ghost can't be in a dirty room, so you need to clean it.

President Gibbons wanted some people to recite from memory the 42 points of doctrine from the lessons in Russian, and me and Sister Djurich were the ones who did it. It made me very happy because weeks ago President Gibbons asked me in an interview if I would memorize them, and I was able to recite them from memory at that same moment. He talked to us about being humble, and that God WILL help us with everything. It really helped me, because I was feeling that I had to do everything all on my own. We are never alone, and everything that happened definitely wasn't because of me.

The Zone Conference was very spiritual and exciting, and it really helped me. I was struggling just wondering what to do as such a young missionary in an area I don't really know, but I left feeling that all will be okay, and it is!

There is a member in Novosibirsk who knows how to dance really well, and he has been teaching me a Russian step dance. It is kinda like clogging, but without the shoes. So I hope that we can film it, so I can show it for all of you...It's pretty cool, if I have to say so myself.

Now I want to share the amazing miracle that happened this week. So in English club, we were teaching 2nd group, which I had never done in Novosibirsk. It was good, and I was talking to one of them who was entirely new to English Club. His name is Antone. We were talking for a long time afterwards, and then he had to leave. When he left, I immediately thought, "Why didn't I get his number?!" If you have a number, you have a potential investigator. If you don't have a number, then you might never find that person again...So I was angry at myself, and we helped clean up after English Club, and we went home on the metro. This was about 15 minutes after Antone left, and when we got on the train, Elder Patton pointed to a guy, and it was him! Elder Patton said to me, "It's fate! Get his number!" I went over and we were talking to him, but I didn't have enough time to get his number before his stop came up, and this stop wasn't ours. I thought, "Whatever! We are getting off!" So I drag Elder Patton off the metro, and we keep talking with him. We go outside, and he invites us to this cafe, and he bought us some juice, because we don't drink coffee, of course. We kept talking and we shared our message. He asked what made our church different than others, and we thought, "Yeah...we will tell you." So he was really interested, he gave us his number, and he asked us to call him the next day. So that was Thursday. I call him, and unfortunately he can't meet the rest of the week, but he says he will come to church. It is very rare that contacts come to church, but we called him every day, and he came to church! Besides that, Vova, from last week came to church as well, even though he worked till 8 in the morning! I thought to call him the night before church, and he said he was busy, but he would come to church, and he did!

This shows how important it is to follow the Spirit. If I didn't get off the train, we might have never gotten Anton's number, and he would have never come to church, and he would never know about the church.

I love this work, and the miracles that happen from diligent work and listening to the Spirit.

I love you all, and I wish you a happy Siberian Thanksgiving!

Be awesome, Be Faithful, Be thou an Example.

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

The Gospel Helps Families!

Sorry, but there will not be any pictures with this e-mail. Stay tuned...   I got my Christmas package, and thank you SO MUCH! I love you all so much, especially the pictures the grandkids drew and the photos you printed up. The grandkids are getting so BIG!   So this is the next edition of The SIBERIAN TIMES!!!

So, we had our first experience all on our own of navigating Novosibirsk. We were going to meet with a member, and I had never met her, or been to her apartment. We had a map, and planned how to get there. So after getting on a bus going the opposite direction, we finally got on a Маршуткa, which is a like a big van taxi thing going the right way. Then to find apartments, they go by the streets, which are all names, so you can't tell where a street would be by the name. Then once you are on the street, you have to look for the apartment building number. It is just in the area, and not necessarily in numerical order. Once you find the right apartment building, then you have to find the right door, which will go to their apartment. So an address in Russia looks kinda like this:
ул. Бориса Богаткова 105-36 

(This is not a real address, but the name is the street, the first number is the apartment building number, and the last is the apartment number.)

In the end, we were successful, and we met and gave her a spiritual thought and a blessing. The thought was given by Elder Patton, my awesome companion!

One day, we got a call from an unknown number. and just so you know, I LOVE talking to people on the phone! It is really fun, and I don't know why. This girl wanted to meet us at the branch building, and so we thought, "Awesome!" When we came to meet her, we found out that actually, all she wanted was to learn English, but she couldn't come to English Club. We had Elder Webb, and Elder Huffaker, who are senior elders, in the meeting. They said that she could learn English if she read the Book of Mormon in English and Russian. She agreed, and we gave her the books. She originally was going to meet with the Sister missionaries, so they are going to teach her. But this shows how powerful the Book of Mormon is. People who might not be looking for any Spiritual guidance WILL find it if they read the Book of Mormon. Reading the Book of Mormon changes people.

This week, we were going through some of the former investigators, and we found a man by the name of Вова (Vova). He has a wife Аня (Anya), and a son Илия (ilia, which is Elijah) After a couple days of phone tag, where we called him, planned a lesson, he canceled, and then he called us to meet, we finally met with them. I am so grateful for my companion, Elder Patton, because he is not afraid to talk, even if he doesn't know a word. He truly loves those he serves. So with the lesson with Вова and his family, we testified how the gospel helps families. The Spirit was very strong, and I knew how precious the gospel was to me, because when I have a family, I know what I will teach my children. The Gospel is the only form of parenting needed. They wanted us to come again, so I hope that we can meet with them more often, and share this wonderful message.

On Sunday, it was Fast Sunday, and it was testimony meeting. Брат Пётр (Brat, or Brother, Pyoter, or Peter) and his family went one by one and testified about the blessings of the temple. His son is the branch president, and he was just sealed to his wife this last week. How great is that blessing? Even the daughters, who were about 13 to 16 years old understood how special the temple is. They understand that family history is important, and they were exticed to do baptisms for the dead for their ancestors. It was a testimony to me about the power of the temple. The greatest blessings reside there.

My feelings have greatly changed about a mission. When I first entered the mission field, I was excited to serve a mission of course. Now that I am in the field, the feelings have grown deeper and more dear to me. I am not just excited to serve a mission. I now know that I could not afford to not serve a mission. Here on a mission, you gain an appreciation of the gospel in a way that you could never understand on your own. To see people who had no direction in their life, have no hope, and then teaching them the gospel, and you see their eyes light up, and they smile. They find that they have a divine heritage, and they are so happy. This ability to share it with others, I can't comprehend a greater blessing. To those who are debating about whether to serve a mission, ask Heavenly Father if you should serve a mission. He knows all, and He is ready to bless you in ways that you can't even comprehend. I can't even comprehend them. Please prepare yourselves for the greatest mission in your life.

I love you all

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

Be worthy of a temple recommend.

Michael...you stud! Nice job. Do you remember I told you that you had to get married before I came home? Well, I just have to say молодец! (Nice Job in Russian) 

So Mom, there will be a thanksgiving feast, and everyone is told to bring a traditional dish, so could you send me the recipe for cranberry salsa? They actually have cranberries in Russia.

So what happened this week?...well that I have a new companion! Elder Patton. So I wish I could send you a picture, but if I remember, President Gibbons will send an e-mail with his picture. So he looks kinda like me... and pretty much he is the awesomest companion ever! He is from Ohio, and he is the oldest of 6 kids, while I am the youngest of 6 kids, go figure. He plays the violin, and the mission president is going to see if he can get a violin to share his talent with the people of Russia. He is also Italian, and he knows how to cook very well. How can you NOT like a companion that cooks? But really, we love all the same things, we love to sing, we love to read, he does gymnastics, and taught gymnastics! So he is so awesome! 

I actually love being a trainer. New missionaries have such an excitement that is contagious. That is what we need in our mission right now. Our district is young, but we have boldly taken the responsibilities. It is amazing to see how everything is working. I haven't even felt scared for anything. So just wait, and we are going to have really amazing things happen.

Last week was district conference, and there was a broadcast for all the members in Russia. It was a little sad, since they couldn't have it in English for us, so we had to listen to the broadcast in Russian. But what we heard was very powerful. President Utchdorf talked to these people, and all he talked to us was to keep the commandments, to be worthy for a temple recommend. He showed how the For the Strength of Youth wallet-sized pamphlets and temple recommends are similar sizes. If we follow these little things, then we will be protected from the adversary. A youth following the For the Strength of Youth will eventually be worthy to enter the temple. Though maybe people won't be able to go to the temple very often, we should always have a current temple recommend with us. I can't remember where I heard it, but a temple recommend means that we are worthy to enter the house of the Lord. If we have a recommend, then we are worthy and ready to live with the Lord. There is no greater preparation for the Second Coming than to be worthy of a temple recommend. 

He then told the young men to serve missions. That really struck home to me, because I know that my mission has blessed my life, and how the missions of my brothers and my Dad have blessed my life. These blessings of a mission will bring eternal blessings to their families. This is not just a message to the young men in Russia, but to all young men. Prepare yourselves now to serve a mission. I don't know how many times I have said this, but I can't think of any greater advice to young men. You have no idea what blessings missions give. You cannot afford to not serve a mission.

I don't know if Michael ever trained any missionaries while in Alaska, but I can't think of a greater calling in a mission. It is so wonderful to see this new missionary, and watch him succeed in talking to someone on the street, going through the day with excitement, and just full of energy. He really trains me. I feel a greater obligation to be a greater missionary so that he will see a good example. This desire to be a great missionary fills me with such hope and love for my companion and for the people we will be teaching.

One principle that Elder Patton taught me was the reason we pray in the name of Christ. Besides it being a commandment, Christ gave us His gospel, commanding us to live like He would. We are trying to be like Jesus. When we pray in Christ's name, we pray how Christ would pray. He prayed for others. Any other prayers not in the name of Christ are not accepted because they are from the desires of men.

We should focus on living our lives like Christ would, because that is happiness.

I love you all, and I am so excited.

God bless you all.

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

We all have a safety line, which is the Holy Ghost

Dear family and friends:
This next transfer will probably be the most interesting one ever. The call has come, and I will be staying in Novosibirsk, and I will be training a new missionary fresh from the MTC. That's right, my fourth transfer, and I am training. But that's not all. The other elders are one transfer younger than me, and they are all training new missionaries. The sisters are only a couple of transfers older than me, but pretty much all of the new missionaries will be trained by fresh-out-of-training missionaries. I have no idea what my new companion's name is, what he looks like, or anything about him.
So mom, you will probably need to pray that we will not get lost. I am just joking, because all will be alright. This is a call from the Lord, not even from President Gibbons. I know that it is, and if we work hard, amazing things will happen. This will be a great time for Novosibirsk.

On Tuesday, we had a Halloween Party for English Club. We had games, language activities, and lots of food. We had root beer, which doesn't exist in Russia, Hot Dogs, which actually DO exist in Russia. A Lot of people came, and it was really fun! I was in charge of bobbing for apples, and we had donuts on a string, bingo, jeopardy, and Elder Huffaker did his lasso stuff. Everyone loves his cowboy stuff.

On Friday, I went on exchanges with Elder Walker, who is one transfer younger than me, and a soon-to-be trainer as well. We taught a recent convert how to hold onto the iron rod, or stay stay faithful through diligent study and prayer. He told us how he would carry scriptures in his  pocket so that he could study during breaks in his work. He found time to study. This just goes to show that anyone can find time for daily study. Heavenly Father gave us the scriptures for our benefit. We need to read them. I know that I couldn't teach people if I didn't have my personal study every day.

On Saturday, there were three baptisms: Banya, and a mother Olga with her son Daniel. They are in another branch in Novosibirsk, in a place known as Sniggery. It's about an hour away from the center of the mission. But seeing these people making these covenants to serve the Lord, keep his commandments, and take upon themselves His name, it made me so happy. I hope that I can do a lot of good for this area when I am in charge of it...whoah...

And now for the weather...snow, and cold. Right now it is below freezing. It is October, and right now I am thinking about Christmas. We have even been listening to Christmas Motab sometimes! It is so crazy how quickly things changed. It just seemed like yesterday, we were going about in short sleeves, because it was so hot, and now we are walking around like Eskimos. Don't worry, though, I am warm, as I have found a scarf and gloves. Laura, thanks for the earmuffs, they are awesome! I hope to be able to send you pictures in other e-mails. Russia is very beautiful in the snow. It's fun to bundle up, and to go walking around in the cold. Russian coats are so elegant, and they are just like in the movies.

In my personal studies, I have been memorizing scriptures, both in English and Russian. I have just recently memorized D & C 4 in Russian. It took me about two days. That just shows how the Lord blesses His missionaries with the gift of tongues. I highly recommend you to take Elder Scott's counsel to memorize scriptures, because they are really helpful in a trying time. I have learned so much in the language, and I have only been a missionary for about 5 months...wow, five months have passed already. It is scary how fast this mission has gone by.

I have this parable about missionary work. Missionary work is like riding on a roller coaster, and you aren't sitting down. You are hanging on for dear life on the bars. You have three choices: you can let go which spells disaster, you can hold on and just be screaming, or you can enjoy the ride. Missionary work is crazy, with unexpected loop-the-loops (such as training your 4th transfer) and you just have to enjoy the ride. You have to be so obedient, and have a great desire to love and serve these people. That is the only way to be successful as a missionary. Don't worry, though you are holding on for dear life, if you are faithful, you are completely safe. You have a safety line, which is the Holy Ghost. Why would Heavenly Father abandon us on a dangerous journey alone with nothing? He loves us so much, and He is always there to help us in times of need.

I ask for your prayers to be with us all, for this will be an interesting transfer.
I am excited to show my faithfulness to the Lord.
I am ready to work the hardest I have ever worked.
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

P.S.  I LOVED all the Halloween costumes!  The wolfman, the minions, Strawberry Shortcake, the ninja, Rapunzel, the witch, the skunk, the monkey and Nemo--they were all great!!

Home Teaching and Family Home Evening

So, Mom, I would LOVE gummy bears! Also, Kool-Aid. The people here don't know about kool-aid, which is sad. So I want to share of the joys of kool-aid with people. Gummy bears are not to be found as well, and I miss them.

So how is everybody? I am really excited about the work that is happening here. Things are growing very fast, just getting closer to the stake. This week, we haven't really had a lot of lessons, but we have been doing great work.

President Gibbons has received revelation that what missionaries need to focus on is Home Teaching, and Famiy Home Evening. These are so important, I had no idea how important they are. We are to meet with inactive members, with members of the priesthood, and to help them fulfill these duties. Right now, there really isn't a Home Teaching Program, and in order for there to be a stake, there needs to be at least 80% Home Teaching...Just think...a stake can't be formed without home teaching. That shows how important it is. It is literally a priesthood duty. Those who hold the priesthood covenanted with God to visit the members and nourish them with the word of God.

Our focus this week was to find inactive members, and we met with Boris. He is a friend of the Branch President, who is a returned missionary and recently married. His family accepted the gospel when he was about 6, so he is one of the pioneers of this gospel in Russia. He is amazing, and he helped so much.

Also, one of Elder Voronkov's friends, Maxim, came to Novosibirsk. He lives here, and he is going to serve in Samara. He plays the saxophone, sings, and plays the piano. He is really good, and he is really strong in the gospel. For English club, he and Elder Voronkov played "I Need Thee Every Hour". It was really cool. He plays jazz, which is awesome too.

Yesterday, we met with Inna, and her husband Yevgenni. Inna is a member, very strong, and Yevgenni isn't. She is very talkative, while he is more reserved and quiet. She is so excited about the gospel, and she talked a lot for us. It was great to see, because we committed both of them to read the Book of Mormon and pray together. When we talked about prayer, I shared the story of when Britton couldn't get on the train before the doors closed, and then Porter said, "We need to pray for Britton to be save and be found." That was a great testimony to them about how important it is to teach children truth, and the importance of prayer. They don't have children yet, but they want to have a family, and they want to raise them to be good people. He prayed for us at the end, which is always an amazing step.

So, this transfer was a week longer, and we will receive transfer calls this week, so stay tuned. I have no idea what will happen, if I will stay in Novosibirsk, or go to another city. Whatever happens, I am excited. This work is going forth quickly.

I wish I could type more, but this keyboard is sticky, and hard to type on. I only can type about 15 words a minute. 

But I love you all.

Pray for the stake.

Pray that we can re-activate the inactive members.

Pray that we will find those who are ready to accept the gospel.

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

Family Home Evening is so important!

Dear family and friends:

This will probably be the most important e-mail I have ever sent, and so I want to save the most important thing for last.

First, on Monday we had Family Home Meeting at one of our member's apartment. We had two investigators there, Lana and Sergei. They are a couple, soon to be married. We talked about the Word of Wisdom, and the father of the family (the member) testified how he was able to overcome smoking and drinking through prayer. A missionary committed him to see if God would help him or not to follow this commandment, and he did. His family has been sealed in the temple, and his son is waiting to be sealed with his wife in the temple. Just so you know, Family Home Evening is probably the most important thing you can give your family. It is a commandment to have Family Home Evening. It almost brought me to tears to see this family, so strong in the gospel, because they regularly had Family Home Evening. They cherished this time together. So any family that is reading this blog, have Family Home Evening!

Also, I had my first splits this week. During a transfer, our District Leader plans splits in order to train and work with every elder in his district. His name is Elder Bonous (Banoose), and he is awesome! I have never met anyone else that loves reading books, singing, musicals, and dancing like him! Yeah, he was in Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, and Children of Eden, like me! No he wasn't at my school, but he did those musicals in high school, and Children of Eden at BYU. I really appreciated that training, and I hope to take what he taught me and become an even better missionary.

Another amazing thing, there was a baptism this week! His name is Pavel, and he is in his late 20's, black hair in a ponytail, and he is taller than me! Elder Stewart, who is about 5ft 4in baptized him, and it completely worked! He was a really great guy, and he is already preparing to go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. It is amazing that missionaries are finding these people, who have been prepared by the hand of God to accept this message. In Novosibirsk, they actually have a font, instead of a sauna like in Novokuznetsk.

That Sunday, the Branch President asked me to bear my testimony about my family. I of course told them about how I have 10 nieces and nephews, and that got a big laugh. Then I told them about how all the men in my family had served missions, and how I saw what great blessings they received from their missions even today, that I knew I wanted to serve a mission. I also talked about how we are sealed as a family for time and all eternity, and that I receive blessings from that even today. I was so grateful for those blessings, that my family is forever. That is why I am in Russia right now, so that all of these people can be sealed to their families, and eventually we will all be sealed together, as one giant family. These people are literally my brothers and sisters, and I love them all.

We also have started a choir. Sister Webb, one of the senior missionaries, is making a choir with all of the members in Novosibirsk.  We had practice and though only about 12 people came, it was very fun. Also, there was one choir member who actually knows how to step dance...almost like clogging! He taught me a few steps, and we talked about how maybe we could do a dance for a talent show, if I don't get transferred. I don't know right now, but we will see. 

Now for the most amazing news ever. I have known about it for a few weeks, and I think now I am going to share it... Ever since being in the MTC, I felt that I was being prepared to be a part of something big that would happen in Russia. I had no idea what it was, but I knew that it was going to be big. President Gibbons has prayed about this for a while, and no one can hide the excitement about what is going to happen here...We are going to have a stake in Novosibirsk. A Stake in Siberia. Just think about that for a few moments. It may seem small to people in Utah, since our cities have multiple stakes, but in Siberia right now, no one has the authority to distribute keys for the leadership positions in this mission. Only the mission president can. With a stake, they will have a stake president, a patriarch, wards, bishops, all of that. This Siberian Stake is not just a fantasy, but will become a reality. The Mission President sees that this stake will be built and established before many of us leave to go home. That is what I have been prepared for, to help build a stake here in Novosibirsk, Russia. Every time I think about it, it just makes my heart race with excitement!

So what I ask from you people reading this blog, is to pray for us that we may find people to build this stake. We need to have about 99 active tithe-paying Melchizedek priesthood holders, and 5 wards in order to build a stake. Please pray for these people. Please pray that we will be able to build this stake. My dream right now is to see this stake established before I leave. I could think of no greater honor, than to say I helped build a stake in Siberia.

That is the big news. A Siberian Stake!

Please pray for us.

I love you all.

I love this mission.

This gospel is undoubtedly true.

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian, Stake-Building, Messenger)

Conference was completely awesome!

Dear Mom, Dad, and Family:

I hope that you can get these pictures that I am sending. We found another Internet club, but it is not hugely better. Libraries are by far the best.

So Mom, I got your package last week, the Christmas package. So whatever you did for that package worked. Maybe send that other package...? Don't worry about the Christmas package, I only opened a few things, such as the candy. The presents and gingerbread stuff are put away for Christmas. I don't want to go crazy about Christmas JUST yet.

So Conference was completely awesome, and I just have to say to all people. These are the Prophets, Seers, and Revelators of God. Their words are His words. It is in good wisdom to follow their counsel. I have learned a lot from Conference about how to be a greater missionary. I was so excited to hear their words, because I knew that they would help me.

What is there to say?

Oh, there is one investigator, who is pretty much on the fence. They need to have that testimony of the truth of the Book of Mormon before they can fall on the right side of the fence. This person has been coming to church, Family Home Evening, Firesides, and even all sessions of Conference. This person follows all the commandments, but one...Baptism. Since we have been meeting with this person, We have committed every time to read the Book of Mormon, (and this person is willing to meet whenever) but they have not. They have read the fullness of the Book of Mormon already, but has either not received a testimony that it is true, or is not willing to admit they have received an answer.

That is one of the hardest things to see in missionary work..someone that is so close to eternal happiness, but they have to take the plunge. We can't even push them off the diving board, but just wait at the bottom and root for them.

Other meetings...hmmm...well we had one meeting with a contact. He invited us over to his house, and it was pouring rain and freezing cold wind that day. He bought ice cream for us, and we ate ice cream with tea at his apartment...It makes no sense, I know, but why argue about free food?

 

While Elder Voronkov was in a meeting about our areas, I went with Elder Sperry and Elder Topham and went contacting. On our return, we met an American! This never happens! It was funny because we asked, "Do you speak English?" "Yes" "How much do you know?" "I know pretty much a lot." We realized he didn't have an accent, and we got talking...he is from Wisconsin, and he teaches English in a University next to the branch building. What are the odds? He had to leave, so we weren't able to talk a lot.

Well, this work is awesome, and I am loving these people. I love being a missionary. Parents:  I know you are planning to serve a mission and I hope you are preparing to do so.  All older members of the church need to take the council from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. We NEED senior missionaries. There is no greater blessing to these people.

I don't have any more time, but I love you all. I pray for you and I hope you pray for these people.

This is the true Church of Jesus Christ.

This work will go Miraculously, Magnificently, and Energetically.

Elder Hoggan (Siberian Messenger)

President Gibbons is a man of power, called of God.

Hey, subscribers of the Siberian Messenger!

I have been really blessed thus far in my mission experience thus far in my mission. The Mission President, President Gibbons, I testify that he is called of God to be our mission president.

He has gotten rid of everything that is not Preach my Gospel and the Missionary Handbook. He has completely transformed the mission and things are awesome! What amazes me, is that when he interviews people, he has never used a translator. He is learning Russian, so that he can serve in Russian. It is difficult, and it humbles me that this man, who has so many things to do is willing to learn this language. Every time I talk to him, I feel his love for me, and it makes me more excited about this mission. He is going to do the most amazing things for Novosibirsk.

I wish that I could show pictures, we are still trying to figure that out. Novosibirsk in the fall is beautiful. There are many trees and the leaves are beautiful. It has been very cool, but not very cold. I have been happy and healthy all this time.

I haven't seen conference yet, but next Sat. and Sun. we will be able to see conference.

I had a "missionary moment" that is common in every mission. You just can't be a missionary without burning something when you are cooking. We were making cookies, and Russian ovens don't have specific temperature measurements. We put the cookies in and went in the other room. Seven minutes later, I get this feeling, "What about our cookies?" I run into the kitchen to see smoke pouring out of the oven. We hastily try to get all the smoke out of the apartment, and we look at the cookies. They are charcoal. Don't worry, there was no damage, and we are okay. It was just an interesting adventure,

Did I ever tell you that Elder Voronkov is a vegetarian? Well, he is, and it is interesting to see him cook. He uses sour cream in everything! When he was making salad, he cut up the vegetables, and poured a bunch of sour cream with it. To me, salad is a lot of leafy vegetables with a small drizzle of dressing, not soaking in sour cream, so it was kinda strange to me. I have found a compromise, which I put it on slices of bread, and it is quite tasty.

Elder Newenschwander (however his name is spelled) from the Quorum of the Seventy, came to Novosibirsk to give patriarchal blessings. He is German, but he can speak really good Russian. It is amazing to see the different tribes that are in Novosibirsk. Some people are actually from the tribe of Ephraim, which amazed me. I am excited to be able to help find all the tribes of Israel here in Novosibirsk.  Elder Newenschwander also talked about setting up the church in Russia twenty years ago and how frustrating that was.  He talked about how we all have to remember that this is the Lord's church and He is in charge.  We just have to do our best with our stewardship and the Lord will do the rest.

President Gibbons and his wife sat in one of our lessons, and he helped teach, in his limited knowledge of Russian, and his Spirit is powerful. It was amazing. I could actually feel his power. I hope that I can have that power when I teach. That is the power that senior couples have in missionary work. Their testimony is of years of trials and faith. I am just a kid, with little experience, but I have a testimony.

President Gibbons testified in sacrament meeting about the miracle of the loaves and fishes. He said, "I only have one loaf, and no fish. How can I feed the multitude?" Through Jesus Christ, despite us being "one" person, we can feed the multitude and all will be filled. That was a real faith builder, because I saw President Gibbons as a man of power, but he felt that he was weak. But he knew that through Christ, he could serve, and I know that I can, too.

There was a fireside, which we attended, and I translated for Elder and Sister Huffaker. Just think, I have been out here for 4 months, and I can translate. Maybe not perfectly, but I can. It was fun, hard, and a real testimony builder to me. I don't know how I could do that  with my lack of training, but I know God is constantly helping us.

In closing, God bless you all.

Please pray for the people here in the Novosibirsk mission.

Please pray for the missionaries.

This gospel is true.

I love you all.

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

Week two in Novosibirsk...

Dear Family and Friends:
This is week two of my service in Novosibirsk. I am glad for one thing that this keyboard works. Last week, the keyboard on the computer had sticky keys that didn't work. This Internet club is pretty much a place where people go to play games. It is sad to see their eyes, blankly staring at a screen, while the gospel of  living with Heavenly Father is being preached.
What is there to say? Well, I am not used to the metro system. In Novokuznetsk, we usually walked to places, since it was shorter and easier to meet at the branch building. It is fun to ride buses and trains everywhere. I have NO idea how I will be able to navigate the maze of this city, but in time it will come.

We have lots of meetings, which is GREAT to me. The problem is that it takes time to get to their houses.
The language used to be a beast to me, but now it is a DEMON!!! Sorry if this isn't proper missionary conduct. This language is fun and I love speaking it. Elder Voronkov is a great missionary with a lot of patience. He speaks good English in which he can explain somewhat if I don't understand. He is from Moscow, and he was in the Kyiv Temple Cultural Celebration. If you look up the film on LDS.org, you can see him. He danced with those spoon things. I am so jealous that he got to dance for a temple dedication, but at least I got to dance for President Utchdorf in Leiderhosen. Just saying...
So in short, I am speaking 100% Russian everywhere. There is no break for me. I hope that I can study well enough to be able to communicate better. Something interesting, is that I think that Novosibirsk and Novokuznetsk have different ways of speaking. They use different words more often. Maybe it's just that I am paying better attention to what is being said.
On Sunday, there were youth speakers. They were awesome talks. This is a message to the youth: take advantage of every opportunity you can to speak. I don't care if it's scary or embarassing, gladly accept that assignment. I was entirely grateful for that day, because I received a miracle. Despite it being in a different language, I understood what was being said. I didn't understand every word, mind you, but I knew what they were talking about, and I could follow it. That is a testimony to me that the Gift of Tongues is real. I am in month 4, and I am conversing with people in Russian. I studied Spanish in school, with certified teachers for two years, and I could not even hold a simple conversation. No worldly certificates can compare with the certification of the Spirit.
I also know the power of the Priesthood. I have had opportunities to give blessings, and I feel the power of the Priesthood work through me to bless these people. Priesthood is real power.
Despite cultural differences between me and Elder Voronkov, we work together great. He is funny, he plays the piano, and is VERY knowledgeable in the gospel. There are some differences, such as he does NOT eat cold cereal. Cereal is a kid thing in Russia, but I still eat the good old cornflakes. There is a cereal which is called Podooshedjkee, or "little pillows" They are little pillow-shaped crispy cereal bits with frosting in the middle. Some are filled with fruit filling, like pear or apple. They are very yummy.
The best thing is herbal tea. We get herbal tea from members, home grown, such as mint, or camommile. All are very delicious. Don't worry mom, I am still brushing my teeth and wearing my retainers every night. I won't come home with rotted teeth.
Finally, I want to talk about the importance of the temple. We are teaching these people to prepare for the temple. These people have to leave the country to visit the temple, which is expensive. I lived 20 minutes from the temple, and I didn't go as much as I should. We have every opportunity to go to the temple. There is no excuse. Prepare now to regularly visit the temple. That is the greatest blessing.
No time. I love you all
The gospel is true.
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

First Visa trip to Finland.

This is the next edition of the Siberian Times!
First of all, when I was typing this e-mail last week, my time on the computer ran out, and it closed on me. I thought that my e-mail was lost, but it wasn't so you get TWO emails! *But no pictures. These computers are old, and they have no place to put flash drives in. I will try to find another way, maybe through an Elder Couple's computer. Stay tuned.

E-mail #1

First thing of all, I am glad to be back in Russia, and I am excited to serve in Novosibirsk. 

Last Monday, I took a train to Novosibirsk to wait for my plane to Moscow and then Finland. It was very long, but it was fun to see the other Elders I was in the MTC with. We have grown a lot since 3 months ago. Finland was like moving from Kansas to Oz. Everything was so green and clean, and EVERYONE spoke English!  That was so strange, and I even missed people speaking Russian, especially when they were speaking in Finnish. We had no idea how to get to where we needed to, but we asked people, and they were very friendly. We got to the temple, but it was closed for cleaning, so we weren't able to do a session. We had to go the temple to get our new Visas, and we met the temple president. He was very nice and very helpful.



Helsinki, Finland Temple

 On our journeyings to our rooms, we met an American member of the church, who served in Finland, and is now living in Finland!. What are the odds? Well, he showed us around and we bought chocolate, which is very expensive, but very delicious. We slept in what is known as a hostel. It was right next to the football fields, so we watched snatches of games. A hostel is like a college dorm, mixed with a locker room. It was fun, nevertheless. Finland was very beautiful, but it was windy and rainy both days. We walked around, and saw the inside of a cathedral-turned museum. It was very beautiful.

Then we returned to good old Novosibirsk, and went right to work. Novosibirsk is like the Russian equivalent of New York City. It is HUGE! It  was very shocking to me, but I love it all the same. Our district is about 12 missionaries, which is a LOT more than the 4 I was used to in Novokuznetsk. It was very cool to see such an army in this city. One of our first lessons, we were teaching about commandments, and I had the impression, "What kind of loving Father would give us commandments we can't follow? God doesn't want us to fail purposefully, so all things are possible." It was a good thought, because all is possible with Him on our side.

Kirill, from Novokuznetsk, was in Novosibirsk for some training, because he will be the institute teacher in Novokuznetsk. Sasha, who is the current institute teacher, got her mission call...to Moscow! It is so wonderful to see others receiving their calls, being able to enjoy the blessings of missionary service, one of the greatest works in God's kingdom.

Then Sunday, that was the greatest thing that I saw. The branch has about 80 people, and the best was seeing little children running about. Primary is one of the most special callings in the church. These children will grow up in the gospel, and become the strong leaders in Russia. I almost cried, seeing these children, knowing that they were on their way to become the future leaders, as all children will eventually be.

I have no time, but in short, my companion, Elder Voronkov is awesome! it is crazy to work with a native Russian, especially since we talk Russian 100%. It makes my brain hurt, but I am learning faster that I thought possible. He is an amazing teacher, and I think we will have a lot of success.


Elder Varankov

Here were some questions, and if you have any more, ask them! Tell me what you want to know about missionary work!

Did you get boots and gloves to go along with your coat? Not yet...

Will you get to watch/listen to conference? I believe so, because I know Brother Vladimir got to see conference when he was investigating the church.
Are you able to view the pictures that I attach each week? YES! and I love every single one of them!
 Have you gotten my package yet? I haven't yet, but I think it will be soon.
Is the picture you sent last week with just you and another Elder your new Russian companion? Nope, that's my brother Nikolai! I will try to send a picture of him in another e-mail, because this club I am unable to. The computer doesn't have a place for USB.
When are you going on your Visa trip? Already went, and enjoyed it.

Does your companion also speak English? He speaks English pretty good, but he talks to me in Russian. It's hard, but it is a GREAT help.

I love you all.

I pray for you individually every day.

Miracles are everywhere.

This gospel is true.

Love,

Elder Hoggan

I'm being transferred to Novosibirsk!

The next edition of the Siberian Messenger!

I got my transfer call on Thursday. I will be serving in Novosibirsk with Elder Varonkov, who is a native Russian. The first feeling I had was sadness, because I love Novokuznetsk, and I love the people so much!. But I know that there are people in Novosibirsk that I need to find and bring them to the knowledge of the gospel. I am also really excited to work with a native, because my skills in the language will explode! I am really grateful for the opportunity to increase my knowledge in the language, not just the missionary language, but hopefully being able to try to talk like a native!

New convert, Nikolai, with Elder Hoggan

Monday, I bought my coat! The big, fluffy, and furry-hooded coat! I hope you like the picture! It is very warm, so you don't need to worry about me freezing. For family home evening, we played Scrabble, but in Russian! It was pretty much the hardest game of Scrabble ever, and I want to buy it for when I come home. Let's see someone try to beat me at that game!

Tuesday, there was nothing special. I finally started that journal of my service for when I apply for college, and I write my lessons that I teach at English Club there. I taught them about how to call people on the phone, and the several million ways that you can say hello. (Hi, hey, howdy, yello, 'sup, yo, etc.)

Wednesday, we met with Vladimir, and he taught us some funny phrases in Russian. One of them, "oo matrosov, net vaprosov", which means "at sailors, no questions", and "tishe, mishe-kot ha krishe" which means "quiet, mouse. There's a cat on the roof' They are similar to like okey-dokey-artichokey, or see you later, alligator. I love it, and we say them all the time.

Thursday, we taught Nikolai about the priesthood, because he received it this Sunday. He is a great member, and a great friend. Then we had English Club, and I gave both the story and spiritual thought. I told a story about 2 fighting wolves, one good, the other evil, and the one you feed will win the battle. Then I testified of Joseph Smith. I really felt the Spirit, as I said that I would not want to fly thousands of miles to a foreign land, speaking a foriegn tongue, just to tell a lie, but that I knew it was true.

Friday, we had a meeting with my good friend Vecheslav. We told him about the prophet, and how we can know it is true. One thing he told me was "Why is your face so serious?" I never realized that my face turns very red and serious when I teach. It was a little embarassing to me, because this gospel is happiness! Fortunately, Vecheslav knows that I am happy, and that is why I love teaching people. I am just serious, because the gospel is serious to me. There is no other way to live eternally with our Father in Heaven than through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Saturday, we received a senior couple group Elder and Sister Holbrook, who will be serving in Novokuznetsk for a year. Elder Holbrook will be the branch president, as Elder Sperry will be an AP for President Gibbons. Elder Terry will be a trainer for Elder Harrison, and an Elder Kapps and a new elder will take the place of Elder Sperry and I. It is a great blessing to have senior couples in Novokuznetsk, and I think a lot of good will happen in that city. That is why when I am old, I want to serve a mission with my wife, especially in Russia again, so that I can bless the people even more. Senior couples have a different spirit about them that even young missionaries don't have.

But I saved the greatest news for last. Sunday, President Gibbons and Sister Gibbons and Elder and Sister Huffaker were there. The Huffakers were there to clean out their apartment. They would come to Novokuznetsk once every month or so, but with senior couples there, they will be staying in Novosibirsk. President Gibbons is an amazing mission president. He does everything that he can in Russian all on his own, which is very deserving of respect. I think that amazing things will happen in the Novosibirsk mission. But the best for me was when we ordained Nikolai to the Aaronic Priesthood. He chose me to ordain him. At first I was so honored, but then a little nervous, because there are some words I didn't know. But I quickly learned them, and I performed the ordination. Throughout the entire ordination, I felt peace and love. I have never felt the Spirit work through me in that way before. I know that Heavenly Father was ordaining His son through me. I was not even nervous, and the words just filled my mouth.

 Just think about it. I have been on a mission about 5-6 months, and I am able to ordain members to the priesthood. This is definitely the Lord's work. President Gibbons wanted me to say to you that the blessing was beautiful and without flaw. He also said that my line of priesthood authority includes Nikolai now. He can trace his authority through me, through Dad, through Grandpa Petersen, though Joseph Smith, Peter, James, and John, all the way to Jesus Christ. So Dad, you now have roots in Russia along with me. You have helped bring the Priesthood to a son in Russia. Nikolai is literally my brother in the Priesthood. I will never forget that moment.

Here is something to tell the Primary. Read the Scriptures every day. Keep a journal of your thoughts and impressions while you read. I like drawing pictures of what I read in my journal. Pray every day and night. Have Family Home Evening. Be nice to everyone, and find opportunities to share the gospel with your friends. All you need to be a missionary is a testimony of Jesus Christ. If you have that, you are already a missionary. You can help in this work. Be excited to serve a mission now, because missionary work is so much fun! (you can even give some excerpts from my blog to the children Mom. I think they would like to see pictures as well) This is Elder Hoggan, saying to the primary children, you too can serve a mission, and write to me how you a being a missionary where you live, as I am a missionary in Russia.

Finally, I love this mission,

I love you all, and I pray for you.

This gospel brings happiness to everyone.

Read the scriptures, in them are the words of God.

Elder Hoggan