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)
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