Letters to all the fams.....

I wanted to reply with a little blip for all the fams:

First of all, Andy and Sarah, have you thought about a Russian name for your daughter? Maybe Olga?...No, I really like the name Tatiana, or Tanya for short. It is good that the girls want to be good sisters. Being nice is so important!

Michael and Rachelle (They will soon be a family, but better get cracking...) Michael, you stud! Rachelle, I am very glad that you will be part of our family. I wish the best for you, and a happy marriage, full of laughs, tears, and eventually dirty diapers...I hope this isn't too weird.

Emily and Ryan,
I hope the boys are doing good. I agree with  Jack, that things would be a lot cooler if Nephi used a gun. Britton, still keep reading books, and I will teach you how to read Russian. It's easy!...I am just joking. I have played basketball with Russians, and it's pretty easy for me. I just have to hold the ball, and they can't reach it.

Sarah and Golden
Hope everything is fine where you are! Interesting enough, I have not seen a fire truck in Russia. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Don't worry about traffic safety. We just have to run through streets, because there are rarely street lights telling you when you can walk. It is a safety council member's nightmare!

Laura and Zack
I hope the twins are good. Everyone loves the picture you gave me of them all dirty from lunch! They all laugh. Lot of girls here in Russia love princesses, and they love playing outside. Every single apartment building has a playground (maybe not the safest) But we always see children playing on them, especially slides made out of snow and ice.

Congratulations mom on the choir! When I return, I hope to share some Russian hymns that the choir could sing. It would be awesome! Russian music is very pretty, and I hope to learn more when I am back...not for another year, though. AHHHHHHHH!!!! I have been gone for a year!...and I will be 20. I don't know about you, mom, but I feel so old now.

The Iron Rod is a safety rail between us and sin.

To everyone that is still reading about my adventures in Barnaul,

Happy Birthday, BELLE! I love you so much, and I hope you have a great birthday. You are such a big girl, and I hope you will be a big sister for your new baby sister. Little girls here in Russia LOVE princesses,especially Belle from Beauty and the Beast. S с днём Рождения! (Ss-gnome Roh-zh-den-ee-yah) That is how they say happy birthday in Russian

Well, what can I say new? That TRANSFERS came! and the verdict is....I am going to be training a new missionary, AND be district leader in Barnaul! This will be my second time training and only within a period of 1 transfer! His name is Elder Slater Duncan, which is more that I knew than when I learned I would train Elder Patton. I am really excited to be training again, and again humbled as I am just new to the area myself.  I promise we will NOT get lost this next transfer.

So for Visa Trips, we all go to Novosibirsk, and the mission chauffer, President Gushin, drives us to the airport. We all get to the city by either bus or train. I will be by bus...which is not my favorite thing. My companion will be with me, and stay in Novosibirsk until I return. Then at the airport, we get on a plane to Moscow, and then transfer to another plane to Helsinki. When we are at Finland, we immediately go to the temple to get our passports with the new visas. I now have two passports, and I switch between them each visa trip. Unfortunately, the visa trip schedule conflicts with the temple schedule, so every other trip, I will not be able to go to the temple. This trip I will not be able to go, and I will only have two more opportunities...  Well, what can you do? (I will be sending some things home, so wait for a package from me...but DON"T open it)

I don't know if I got a new nametag. They can only make them at the MTC, and they send them with the incoming missionaries. Maybe Elder Duncan will have mine. I haven't received my package yet, since I am a couple hours away from Novosibirsk. They just wait until a missionary visits Novosibirsk to give him all the mail. It just works out that way.

Then this week was this thing known as Salon. This activity is put on by the branch music director, who is classically trained. They had members perform songs, and they all dressed up. It was very fun. I played a song as accompaniment, and it really scared me. But it was all well, and I really enjoyed hearing this Russian Opera.

So here is an interesting holiday in Russia. The 23rd of February is "Men's Day" and it is to celebrate the manliness of men, and all they do. It is the Father's Day of Russia, and the Relief Society came during Priesthood meeting and gave all the priesthood men a picture of them, with a thank you for being a man. We were laughing, but it really was sweet. So all of you men out there, Happy Men's Day! Pretty much the holiday is an excuse for men to relax. Don't worry, there is a "Women's Day", and they get to relax then.

There was a baptism yesterday! So Yulia was baptized on Sunday, and alot of people came. It was wonderful to see this baptism. This baptism felt like seeing the baptism of a little child. Aren't we all children to a Heavenly Father? We sang the Primary Hymn I want to be Baptized, and it was very sweet.

So what I learned from Lehi's dream starts with the man in the white robe. He guides Lehi to find the tree. The man could be the Lord, the Holy Ghost, maybe an angel, but maybe even a missionary. But more importantly, when we are baptized, and especially when we are in the temple, we wear white. Those who have already partaken of the fruit are the people in white robes, and they guide others to the tree. The rod is the word of God, but what is the Word of God? It is the scriptures, yes, but what about the words at sacrament meeting? Firesides? What about the words from church leaders (Mission presidents included) or even the prophet at General Conference? These words aren't necessarily in the Bible or Book of Mormon, but they are His words. Also, the iron rod doesn't just guide us to the tree, but it is a guard rail from the filthy river, the great divide, and the great and spacious building. It is a safety rail between us and sin. We would have to jump over the rod, or jump over the word of God, in order to sin. (I think like a stumbling block) When we partake of the fruit, which is the Love of God, and I agree, it is even Christ, we take a part of Him inside of us. The Sacrament. We take emblems of His flesh and blood inside of us, and He becomes part of us. Our goal is to become like Him, and He needs to be a part of our lives. The ones who stayed fell at the tree. This could be worshipping, falling to the feet of Christ, and I even think kneeling, as kneeling at an altar in the temple. If we want to stay at the tree, these ordinances are necessary. With missionary work, we are here to call out to people, like Lehi to his family, and lead them to the tree. This journey is an individual journey, and everyone has to make the decision for themselves, but that doesn't mean we can't call out to others. Lehi called to those he loved, his family, and I have the special calling to call out to those I love, my family here in Russia. We all have a responsibility to call out to our families, to those we love, and help them partake of the fruit, through baptism and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and then stay to partake.

Pretty much, this next transfer is humbling to me, as Heavenly Father is trusting me to take care of one of His missionaries again. I am so excited for this opportunity to train again, as I feel it is the most fulfilling calling as a missionary.

I love you all, and I hope you are all well.  This gospel is so true.
--
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)
Старейшина Хогган (Сибирский Посланник)

Tree of Life

Hello Family!
What happened? I was writing a letter to you, but then I switched to another letter, and all what I wrote is lost! I am so sorry, and promise to send a larger letter next time! Usually it automatically saves it as a draft, but it decided not to do that this time...sorry. It hasn't snowed a lot here, but it is crazy to see the roads, as they chip away the packed snow. You can see the layers of snow and dirt, and it looks like a cake. It can sometimes be six inches thick of packed snow. The weather is turning toward the warmer, and I shudder to think what it will be like when the snow melts...I will need need boots, pants, everything!

There has been a change in our mission. Kashakstan, or how you spell it, will be a part of the mission in the summer. The changes are due to the stake in Moscow, and the growth of the church in this area. It
will not affect the District here in Siberia, but you never know if I will be serving in Kashakstan...Don't worry mother. Oh, I will be leaving for Finland again in March 1, so I will have more Finlandish-stories to tell you.

Well, Zone Conference was amazing! The theme was the Tree of Life and its symbolism to missionary work. I wish to go in greater detail, next time, but my assignment to all of you is to read 1 Nephi 8 and tell me
something new you learned about the vision. I will tell you what I learned, and all will be edified. President Gibbons has been traveling to the branches, interviewing all of the bretheren, preparing for the District which will be organized on March 18! All of the members in the mission and missionaries are gathering in Novosibirsk for the event, and they rented out a huge room! I am so excited to hear! President Gibbons was in Barnaul, and he talked to the branch and interviewed people, perhaps to find leadership for the district. On that note, Yulia is ready to be baptized! She has had an interview and all is okay, so we will have a new member in Barnaul in the next few weeks!


Novosibirsk Zone Conf.

President Gibbons told me as well that he visited Novokuznetsk, and that he is going to ordain a native branch president there, which is so exciting! The branch president currently there is Elder Holbrook, who was a senior couple who served here in Barnaul. He is going to be the last non-native branch president in the mission. Also, Nikolai was recently ordained to the Melchezidek priesthood by president Gibbons, which made me very happy to hear.

Something that I learned this week is that God always is looking out for us. He knows exactly where we are and what we are doing at any moment. He never glances away from us, and He is always active in our
lives. I have prayed many times for blessings, and for comfort in times of trial, and I have always felt that He is near, and that everything will be okay. Everything will be okay.

We recently met with this family, and they provided us with chicken, potatoes, and lots of food! They have two daughters about 9 and 8 years old, and when we asked to have a blessing on the meal, the oldest daughter asked if she could pray. The mother is not very religious, and she never taught her children about God or how to pray. They have come to a few activities, and they see us pray, and this just shows what an example we are. This little girl who never learned to pray, prayed for us. We talked to them about our purpose as missionaries, and how we knew that God exists and that he loves us. I told how I had to learn for myself if it was true or not, even though my family dates back to the earliest days of the church. We all need a personal witness, because the journey to the Tree of Life is an individual journey. All I can do as a missionary is call out to others to partake of the fruit, and tell them to hold onto the rod. I cannot drag them to the tree, but I can call out with love. That is why the Tree of Life is such a monumental vision, because it
is applies to everyone, in every situation. It can be viewed differently, and still be correct. The fruit is the same, the most desirable fruit of all--eternal life.
I love you all, and I wish the best for you all.
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

С Днём Святого Валентина or Happy Valentines Day

Dear Family,
Happy Valentines Day or С Днём Святого Валентина (ss-gnome- cvee-atovo- Valen-tee-na) (I hope that is the correct translation...) So They do in fact celebrate Valentine's day here in Russia, and it is pretty much the same way that we do, except I don't think they have those cute little valentines that Elementary School kids give out...I miss the sweethearts...

So what happened this week? We had a meeting with these people by the name of Maria and Alexei. Alexei, he is not really interested at all. They are about 50 years old, and Maria has some religious background with the Orthodox church here in Russia. We have had a member, by the name of Galina, come with us to their house, and she is amazing. She is over 70 years old, and she testifies so strongly that this church is true. It is amazing to see these people, who travel over half an hour to church in freezing cold weather. These people know that it is important. We tried to invite Maria to church, and we even said we would come over to go with her, but when we called, she decided it was too cold. That is the hardest thing about missionary work, is when people don't accept the things that will bless their lives. All you can do is invite others, not force them.

We met with this guy named Vitalli, who wants to become an archaeologist. He brought his girlfriend to the lesson, and we had a member Denis with us as well. We taught them the Restoration, and they were very interested, and they were willing to read and pray. The girlfriend even prayed at the end for us. We haven't been able to set up a second meeting at the moment, but we will keep in touch.

We aso met with a girl by the name of Nastia, short for Anastasia. She asked us to meet her in a bus as she went home from work, and so we met her there. It was hard for both of us to talk because we were sitting in a line and the bus was full, so Elder Ortner talked to her, and I talked to this guy next to us. He was drunk, and slurred his words, making it hard for me to understand. He was nice, but not interested. We can meet with Nastia anytime, but only on the bus, as she doesn't have any other free time. Whatever, you take what you can get.

We had a meeting with an inactive member which pretty much broke my heart. He has been a member since the church opened up in Moscow, where he lived for a time. He worked with mission presidents, been to the temple, and even met with some of the high authorities of the church, namely Elder Utchdorf. He has been inactive for many years, and he had let a lot of doubts creep into his heart, and he now can't support the Book of Mormon, and he even said he can't support the General Authority. I almost cried, because this man had partaken of the great blessings of the church, temple blessings, and met with such strong leaders of the church. I have realized that no one is safe from apostacy, and that it is SO crucial to do the Three Things (Scriptures, Pray, Church) These things will help when doubts, fear, and temptation come our way.

There was also a very fun branch activity. They had a branch family home evening where people showed their talents. Me, Elder Smith, and some of the sisters in the branch sang "Breaking Free" from Highschool Musical...I am so ashamed...no it was so much fun, and I even got to show some of my karate skills. People were very amazed, and it was just generally fun! An investigator, Olecia, came to the activity, and she really liked it.

Olecia came to the branch for English, and is wasn't happening then, and she agreed to have a meeting. We taught her the Restoration, and she was very interested. She is very faithful in her Orthodox faith, but she has a friend who is serving a mission in New York, and she has been to church, so there must be something.

Tonight, we are going to learn to make Plove. Dad, I recommend you to look up this dish, because it is so yummy. This guy from Afghanistan, Muman, who is from English, is going to teach us. (He agreed to take a Book of Mormon, and he came to church once, but we are not allowed to teach him because the church is not allowed to teach people of Israeli heritage, because of agreement we have made with them.)

I love you all, and I pray for you.
I hope all is well at home.
I am loving being a missionary, and I love these people.
Read, pray, go to church, Stand firm in the faith!

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

What are we doing to strengthen our relationship with our Heavenly Father?

Well today we went to get groceries, and we went to this place called Lenta...I have found a Russian Walmart! I have never seen so much food and other things in Russia thus far in my mission. It was HUGE!
What happened this week? Well, we met with two famous groups of people in this mission, Jehovah's witnesses and Baptists. They are famous in our mission for liking to meet and debate doctrinal differences based on the Bible. They are wonderful people and they have great faith in Christ. First of all, NEVER argue with people about the gospel, it is not how missionary work should be done. The best way to teach is share your testimony. I found many times that I would share my testimony about our Savior and people would listen intently, but then argue about some other point about the Bible or something. Our message to people is not to believe in the Book of Mormon, or to believe in Joseph Smith. Our purpose is to help people come fully unto Christ through faith, repentance, baptism by His authority, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and then being faithful unto the end. People can have relationships with Christ outside our church, but in order to fully come unto Christ, the only way is through His Church. No one can deny my testimony of Christ, and the Book of Mormon and the revelations of Joseph Smith only strengthen my relationship with Him.



Novosibirsk Zone Conference

For my study of the Book of Mormon, I have a journal which I write about every single point in every chapter a day. I now have a greater understanding as to who king Zedekiah is and what the kingdom of Judah is. This has just shown me that the Book of Mormon is true, because it has fit accurately with the Bible. There are no contradictions. I just think about Laman and Lemuel, and how their greatest disadvantage which led to their cursing was their lack of a relationship with their Heavely Father. They were commanded by Nephi and their father to pray, but they didn't pray of their own accord. Nephi even said that they did not counsel with the Lord. What lesson we learn is how we need to pray every day, constantly! Our greatest possession is our relationship with Heavenly Father. We can either strengthen it or weaken it. So, are we doing things to strengthen it, or weaken it? Elder Ortner is such a fun, goofy guy! He is a really strong Elder. He was born in Israel as a Jew, but his family moved to Florida. Yes, he is from the tribe of Judah. His mother died of cancer 6 years ago, and it made him question whether there was a God. He became Atheist. Then he moved to Boston for school, and he had friends there who were members. He saw their shining examples and wanted that kind of life, so he investigated the church. He went to the temple grounds and prayed to know if it was true. He received that answer. His father is against it, but Elder Ortner knows it is his duty to God. That is an example to all of us.

There is this holiday in Russia, I can't remember the specific date, but they celebrate the baptism of the Savior. What do they do? They jump into freezing cold water! I didn't hear about it, until people were actually talking about it, and if we celebrated it...maybe we should...Boy Scouts Polar Bear?
Our apartment is really nice, with really open windows. I don't have a closet, so I hang my clothes on this plank that is suspended over a small cupboard. The washing machine handle is broken, so we open it with a screwdriver. It is awesome! Really I love living in Russian apartments. We really have all the comforts of home, electricity, hot water, did you know that they have pipes with hot water that are connected to the towel racks? You can have warm towels in the morning?
The branch in Barnaul is pretty big, about 50-60 people come regularly. They are actually making plans to remodel this other building to make into their new branch. They are planning to have a separate room you can reach from the outside to reach the family history center. (Could you send me any stories about our first ancestors who were part of the church?) I have seen the plans, and they are legit. The branch has two floors, and it is sometimes really cold. They have HUGE pipes with hot water flowing through them. People here use hot water to heat their apartments, and the houses usually use coal. I never knew that coal stunk when burned.
I am not really sure where the Holmes are from, but Elder Ortner says that they live in Utah. It is funny to talk about living in Utah, because so many missionaries are from there. It is more interesting to hear about a missionary from Ohio, or from Las Vegas, especially from Israel.
So really, I am really loving Barnaul. They are really nice people here, and I hope to do some good here. I love you all, and I pray for you every day. You guys are definitely worth serving a mission, even though I receive more blessings than what I sacrifice.
I love you all!
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

Tell Michael, "Nothing much, you stud!" and Aaron Jones:, "Go get 'em, Siberian Tiger, thank you very much..." And about the last Eragon book, that will be the FIRST book I read when I am released, so keep it in the car when we come home from the airport...but don't think about that for at least a year!