Wonderful things are happening in Novokuznetzk! First of all, the mission president, President Rolfe, came to train us. It is sad that I will only know him for a little while until the new mission president comes. He talked to us about teaching with power. You always hear power and authority put together, because you need both to teach. We already have our authority, as we were set apart as missionaries. What we need to focus on is teaching with power. This goes by teaching truth, and testifying about it. You can tell when you teach with power, as you feel that the person feels it too.
I have had many experiences with teaching with power this week. We have taught two Nicholais. One of them is a young man, who is a miner, but he wants to become an advertising designer. We began teaching him, and I felt when he read the Book of Mormon introduction, promising that people can know for themselves of its truth, and I knew it hit him. He even committed to baptism, and we are meeting with him today to teach the Plan of Salvation. He lost his father, and I know that this lesson will greatly increase his faith and desire to learn more, and be baptized.
The second Nicholai, is a very old Dedooshka, or grandpa. What is amazing about him, is that he had no idea what the Bible was. He had no religious background, and here we are teaching him the Plan of Salvation. But with my halting Russian, I told him that death isn't the end, but that we will live again, and that those who died without a knowledge, can have a chance to hear it.
With both of these investigators, I had the same good feeling that I had with Vladimir. I know that it is the Spirit testifying to me that these people are prepared to hear the gospel. It might take time, and it might mean that I won't be the one to baptize them, but they have been prepared to hear the gospel.
Another miracle that happened this week was the return of Galia. She is probably in her 20's and was very active in the church. Then she decided it was too hard to live like a disciple of Christ. We had members call her, pleading to come back. She did this week. She was miserable, and wanted the gospel in her life again. She came to church and other activities, and she is a different person. This shows that the gospel truly brings people happiness. Living in the world is misery, only through the gospel of Jesus Christ can we be truly happy.
We did meet with that family, Curik and Marina. They fed us, and we talked about our families. Those pictures are practically scriptures to me. What is amazing about this family, is that the Father knows his responsibility to take care of his family and stay faithful to his wife. That is rare in Russia, which is sad. Many people grow up in broken homes, without both parents, and this vicious cycle continues. We left them a copy of The Family: A proclamation to the world, and read how it says that parents should work together to raise their children righteously. I hope to meet with them later, and they want to meet with as well.
I have really been blessed on this mission. It is amazing that I have only been here a month, but I understand so much Russian. I can follow in a lesson when the investigator's talking, and I can speak back. It's funny, I don't speak a lot, but I listen a lot. Some people think that I am quiet and that I have no idea what's going on, but then I say to them that I DO understand and that I am just listening. I love teaching, and I am speaking more and more. I am really growing in my abilities, and I am learning how to better myself in learning the language. It's great to listen, but speaking is just as important.
There's just so much to say, but I don't have the time. Miracles are happening every day, and I love it. Some days it seems like nothing happens, no one's listening to us, but we still work. Because of our faithfulness and obedience, we are blessed in another way, such as a returned member, or finding an old contact we prayed to speak with.
Here are some pictures.
The one with me holding the cigaretter package is funny, as it literally says on the package "Smoking Kills" in big letters.
The other cigarette package is funnier, as it says that Smoking can become a way to a small and painful death. And people still buy them...strange...
The big fan is in this tunnel next to a chemical factory we visited on P-Day. It was really cool, so I thought you would like it.
The plate of food is goat intestines...just joking! They are actually stalks of a plant commonly found in Koreal, which people eat here.
The last picture is of me holding an old filter, replacing it with a new one. We have a filter on our sink, so we can have clean water to drink, and it's a three step filtration process. Yummy, huh?
I love you all, the gospel it true.
Obedience, faith, prayer, and fasting brings miracles.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us all so much.
-Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)
P.S. Mom, you wanted to send me something just to see how long it would take, could you send me some contact lenses, possibly? Just send me my old ones. Also Reese's, or anything with peanut butter and chocolate. Maybe send me peanut butter. Russian's don't eat peanut butter, which I think is very sad. If it doesn't work, don't worry about it. I will survive. I don't need them.
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