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)
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)
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