Dear Family
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS! Lilly is such a beautiful baby. Lilly is such a beautiful name as well. (That is actually a name here in Russia (Лилия- or Lilia) It is wonderful to see these new spirits enter into the world, and see how close eternity is. The veil is very thin, and our families really do rejoice for us. I have felt sometimes that my ancestors have rejoiced when I have made the right decisions. These covenants that seal us for eternity are real, and though I am far away from you, I still feel close, and when I pray, I feel even closer. I have felt your prayers from time to time, and I know of your love for me. I also want to point out that Laura and Zack were also the witness couple when I took out my endowments. Maybe they can be the witness couple when my fiancee takes out hers. But that isn't for a LONG time, so let's just get on with the work here. :)
So what happened this week? First of all, Russian weather decided to pull a joke on us. I have told you it was getting warmer outside; well that didn't last too long. The weather took a turn for the cold, and it even snowed this Saturday. It was about twenty degrees Celcius on Monday, and was below freezing by Thursday. It is still cold. It just made us laugh, as it reminded me of the weather back at home. I forget if weather changed like that in Utah. I think it did. I have been in Russia for a long time. We are really trying to find new investigators, and so we have been meeting with recent converts and less-active members of the church, in order to strengthen them, and also to obtain any referrals. No immediate success yet, but I know that God will bless us for our efforts and labours. Hey, Michael, do you know any good finding activities that you did in Alaska? I am always open for new ideas. We are going to try having a group lesson, like what we did in Novokyznetsk. That was pretty successful, and we got some pretty good investigators from that effort. Also this week, I went on splits with Elder Rich. As a district leader, I am required to work with every missionary in my district for about 24 hours every transfer, in order to teach them, and to check on the work in other parts of the city. I had already served with Elder Smith for about a week, so I already knew he was working right. I have been blessed with an amazing district, and they are all hard workers. Elder Rich is not afraid to speak to people. He really has a strong testimony of the Restored Gospel, and his fire is catching. We were contacting in a different part of the city, and we did get lost for a while. Thankfully, I brought a map with me, and we were able to navigate back to the branch to meet the other elders.
This week actually has been a pretty difficult week for me. Anyone that has served a mission probably understands. We were working very hard, and there wasn't the success that should have come because of it. It can be very downing, and I couldn't understand why things were like that. In that moment, I could have just dwelled and tried to nurse my wounds myself, but that is when I turned to Heavenly Father for guidance. Whenever you feel down, hopless even, never close yourself off from divine help. In turning to Heavenly Father in prayer and through priesthood blessings, I was able to release all my frustrations, pains, stresses, fears, sadnesses, and even anger. He took those away from me, and left me with peace, love, and even joy. He literally healed me. I know that He can heal any wounds, thanks to the Atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It was through Him i received my Balm of Gilead. God loves, us, and understands us. He is always there to help you.
"Fear not, little flock, for I am with you." I love you all, and I pray for the health and safety of little Lilly. I pray for the comfort of the family during this trying time with Uncle Doug. I pray for the blessings of heaven to be with you all. I pray for the blessings of heaven to be with Michael and Rachelle, and I welcome her into our family. I pray, because I know He hears me, and He hears all of His children.
I love you all,
Elder Hoggan The Siberian Messenger
Monday, April 23, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
The only real safety is in the family.
Hey, sorry for the lack of letter last week, but now you will have a big fat letter, sent with love. First of all, we had a Baptism! Maria is the newest member of the branch. It was very amazing, and very spiritual. As the districtleader, I conducted the interview, and was I scared. This is a serious decision, and I didn't know if I was qualified to do what I thought was the duty of a bishop or someone else. Then in the interview, I felt like Christ was interviewing her, and I was just the mouth piece. I felt the Spirit testify that she was indeed prepared to make that covenant with God in the waters of baptism. The other elders were teaching her, so they would organize the service, but Elder Smith left for Finland, so we had to organize everything. It was a very stressful week, but it was all worth it for the ordinance.
Last week, I went on splits with the Zone Leaders, and I learned many things from them. First of all, I learned that Heavenly Father uses everything about you for missionary work. We were talking to this man, and he was interested since Elder Blake, my companion for the day, played basketball, which his son liked. Then he told us how his son wants to go to Scotland. Interested, I said how my ancestors are
Scottish. He went crazy and said something along the lines of...OHHHHH, give me your number! We were happy to exchange contact information. What this goes to show that God does indeed send His missionaries to where they need to go, even on a split with Zone Leaders. From Novosibirsk to Barnaul is about 4 hours by bus, and it was very hot on the bus and uncomfortable.Now the weather has become warmer. We don't wear coats anymore, and it is starting to dry up. It is strange. We don't clean our shoes from mud or snow anymore, but dust them off. I am starting to break out my short-sleeved shirts, and I still sweat. I forgot that Siberia can be hot, too! It is great that we don't have to wear coats anymore. The worst thing is that busses and other transportation still have on the heaters, with a bunch of bodies, we sweat a lot. I can't see how Russians don't sweat! They are still wearing winter coats, and I am dying in my suit coat.
We have begun meeting with members, and seeing if they know others with whom we could share the gospel. No immediate success, but then I get a call from Brother Klavakin about a referral. He met with a very successful businessman, and we met with his daughter. She was very nice, and we shared the message of the Restoration, and gave her a Book of Mormon. Then the branch president called me to give me two more contacts! The branch has their own website, and people visit it, and there is a place where people can ask for the missionaries to visit. We will contact them today, and maybe have new investigators.
Also this week was conference. We watched conference at the Holmes, while members watched it at the branch and at their homes. I really saw how this conference has focused on families, and the duties of the priesthood. There was not one talk about missionary work, if you were paying attention. Why is that? Because every boy knows that it is his duty to serve a mission, and they have been repeating it over and over. Do your duty, serve a mission. Do your duty, do your home teaching. Do your duty, magnify your calling. Do your duty, preside over your family in righteousness.
About family, I see how important it is more than ever. Every single talk in conference made mention about families. In a world of decaying values, the only real safety is in the family. I have seen that all ofthe problems in this world are rooted in the lack of family. Family Home Evening is not just a good thing, but necessary. We teach our children the gospel, so that they understand and can apply the gospel in their lives. Do our children know that they can receive answers to prayers? Do they know that Jesus Christ atoned for our sins? Do they know the Book of Mormon is true for themselves? That is the responsibility that we all have. Teach your children, because they are an heritage unto the Lord.
I love you all, and I love my family especially. I am grateful for your example, and I hope that all is well with all of you.
Elder Hoggan
The Siberain Messenger
Last week, I went on splits with the Zone Leaders, and I learned many things from them. First of all, I learned that Heavenly Father uses everything about you for missionary work. We were talking to this man, and he was interested since Elder Blake, my companion for the day, played basketball, which his son liked. Then he told us how his son wants to go to Scotland. Interested, I said how my ancestors are
Scottish. He went crazy and said something along the lines of...OHHHHH, give me your number! We were happy to exchange contact information. What this goes to show that God does indeed send His missionaries to where they need to go, even on a split with Zone Leaders. From Novosibirsk to Barnaul is about 4 hours by bus, and it was very hot on the bus and uncomfortable.Now the weather has become warmer. We don't wear coats anymore, and it is starting to dry up. It is strange. We don't clean our shoes from mud or snow anymore, but dust them off. I am starting to break out my short-sleeved shirts, and I still sweat. I forgot that Siberia can be hot, too! It is great that we don't have to wear coats anymore. The worst thing is that busses and other transportation still have on the heaters, with a bunch of bodies, we sweat a lot. I can't see how Russians don't sweat! They are still wearing winter coats, and I am dying in my suit coat.
We have begun meeting with members, and seeing if they know others with whom we could share the gospel. No immediate success, but then I get a call from Brother Klavakin about a referral. He met with a very successful businessman, and we met with his daughter. She was very nice, and we shared the message of the Restoration, and gave her a Book of Mormon. Then the branch president called me to give me two more contacts! The branch has their own website, and people visit it, and there is a place where people can ask for the missionaries to visit. We will contact them today, and maybe have new investigators.
Also this week was conference. We watched conference at the Holmes, while members watched it at the branch and at their homes. I really saw how this conference has focused on families, and the duties of the priesthood. There was not one talk about missionary work, if you were paying attention. Why is that? Because every boy knows that it is his duty to serve a mission, and they have been repeating it over and over. Do your duty, serve a mission. Do your duty, do your home teaching. Do your duty, magnify your calling. Do your duty, preside over your family in righteousness.
About family, I see how important it is more than ever. Every single talk in conference made mention about families. In a world of decaying values, the only real safety is in the family. I have seen that all ofthe problems in this world are rooted in the lack of family. Family Home Evening is not just a good thing, but necessary. We teach our children the gospel, so that they understand and can apply the gospel in their lives. Do our children know that they can receive answers to prayers? Do they know that Jesus Christ atoned for our sins? Do they know the Book of Mormon is true for themselves? That is the responsibility that we all have. Teach your children, because they are an heritage unto the Lord.
I love you all, and I love my family especially. I am grateful for your example, and I hope that all is well with all of you.
Elder Hoggan
The Siberain Messenger
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
I am so sorry, Mom! My e-mail to you was just deleted! I thought it would automatically save it in a draft, but it didn't! I don't have a lot of time to write, and I just feel so bad. We are only allowed to use e-mail for an hour, so I can't write more. I will fill you in next week. I just wanted to say how important family has been to me. President Gibbons really wants us to focus on teaching families, to get the strength needed in the branches. We have had some really good conversations with families, and how the gospel blesses them. I know for a fact my life is better, because you taught me the gospel. I have been giving out Family-Proclamaion to the world, and I know what the First Presidency said is true. We cannot receive any lasting happiness in this life or in the next without our families. What else? We taught this member family, Kovtini, and they are a really amazing family. They have wonderful children, and we just had a great time talking, and we shared a spiritual thought about how the gospel blesses families. We commended them for teaching their children, because we knew that the blessings from the gospel are endless.
We went on splits with the Zone Leaders, and it was a blast! These elders have very fun personalities, they are laid back, chill, and just everyone talks to them. They are really hard workers, and I just say surfer personality because Elder Carr IS a surfer. I love working with other missionaries, and learning how to do missionary work better, because I for one am not perfect.
I love you all, and I am sorry for the short e-mail. I will write an especially long one next week, full of spiritual experiences.
Elder Hoggan
We went on splits with the Zone Leaders, and it was a blast! These elders have very fun personalities, they are laid back, chill, and just everyone talks to them. They are really hard workers, and I just say surfer personality because Elder Carr IS a surfer. I love working with other missionaries, and learning how to do missionary work better, because I for one am not perfect.
I love you all, and I am sorry for the short e-mail. I will write an especially long one next week, full of spiritual experiences.
Elder Hoggan
Monday, April 2, 2012
New Area Authority Seventy: Yuri Gushin!
Dear Family
First of all, I wanted to say...YAY! I just recently heard that in conference, there is a new member of the Area Authority Seventy, named Yuri Gushin, who is from Novosibirsk! I served in his branch, and he is an amazing member. You have no idea how I reacted when we went over to a member's house for home teaching and they told us the news. This is just another step closer to having a stake. I hope you got to see him. Now there is a Russian Seventy, next there will be a Russian Apostle!
Well, what happened this week? Oh wait, I was in Novosibirsk again! Just so you know, I am leaving for Novosibirsk today to go on splits with the Zone Leaders. That will be my fourth time going to Novosibirsk since this transfer started. The work of a missionary never stops!
We had trainership meeting, and it was amazing. President Gibbons compared the building of the Salt Lake Temple to the building of the stake here in Siberia. it took 39 years to build the outside. That is like the building of the foundation, or the building of the district. The prophet challenged the people to finish the temple within a year, and they did! President Gibbons firmly believes that there will be a stake here in Siberia, and that it could happen within a year. I want to see the formation of this stake, and I might even ask for an extension to my mission in order to see it. I know it is not my choice, for it is the Lord's will, but that is how I feel about it.
President Gibbons continued about our duties as leaders to receive revelation. We need to be 100% worthy and in tune to receive that crucial revelation. I have never really realized how powerful revelation is. As a district leader, I have definitely received guidance, and it is amazing. The hand of God is literally directing this work, and I have seen it.
We have a new investigator, and his name is Oleg. He was actually taught by the missionaries a while ago, and for some reason they stopped. He has a wife and daughter, and he is a manager for a coal mine. He loves the Book of Mormon, and he has come to church a few times. He is such a nice guy, and we hope to meet with his family. We invited them to church, but they were unable to attend. I really hope that they will accept the gospel, as our branch desperately needs families.
Being here in Siberia, where the church is so young in its growth, I have seen the necessity of programs such as Family Home Evening, and Home and Visiting Teaching. If we fulfilled these callings to the full potential, there would be fewer less active and inactive members of the church. These programs are to save souls, which is our duty.
I hope to start a finding activity, to find families. The church really wants missionaries to use family history to find new investigators, and I had some ideas. We don't have a family history center in Russia, but we could hold a seminar. People here are really interested in their ancestry. I am planning to set up booths on the street, and inviting people to learn more about family history, and about the websites that the church owns. Did you know that you can index Russian documents? Returned missionaries are doing that, and what would be a greater use of time that to help index documents? I really want to get involved in that when I return...in a year's time.
Four days, and I will have been a missionary for a year. Wow how time flies. I can't believe what I have learned and experienced here. There is no greater experience for your life than a mission. I have learned things that I could never learn by myself. I have seen the hand of God literally guide and direct my life. I have seen people change their lives, and how much more wonderful and full their lives are thanks to the gospel. This is literally the work of God. I have literally had a feeling, and when I acted upon it, miracles happened! I have discovered that we are in the company of prophets and disciples. In a way, missionaries are prophets, and their service is their dispensation. President Gibbons called me a "boy prophet" much like Joseph Smith, called to build His kingdom in the far reaches of Siberia. I don't know how this work could be accomplished by someone as young as me, unless God was with him.
God lives, and His Son Jesus Christ is our Savior. There is no other power upon the earth that we can be forgiven of our mistakes and sins. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ DID reveal themselves to Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon is literally the word of God. This gospel is true, and I could never deny it. Families will be together forever. Death has no power upon us. I can't wait until we can all meet together again, to live in an eternal family in eternal happiness. My job right now is to try to get as many people as I can to return with me. Please stay faithful to this gospel, because life is nothing without family, and family is everything in the gospel.
I love you all, this gospel is true.
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)
Старейшина Хогган (Сибирский Посланник)
First of all, I wanted to say...YAY! I just recently heard that in conference, there is a new member of the Area Authority Seventy, named Yuri Gushin, who is from Novosibirsk! I served in his branch, and he is an amazing member. You have no idea how I reacted when we went over to a member's house for home teaching and they told us the news. This is just another step closer to having a stake. I hope you got to see him. Now there is a Russian Seventy, next there will be a Russian Apostle!
Well, what happened this week? Oh wait, I was in Novosibirsk again! Just so you know, I am leaving for Novosibirsk today to go on splits with the Zone Leaders. That will be my fourth time going to Novosibirsk since this transfer started. The work of a missionary never stops!
We had trainership meeting, and it was amazing. President Gibbons compared the building of the Salt Lake Temple to the building of the stake here in Siberia. it took 39 years to build the outside. That is like the building of the foundation, or the building of the district. The prophet challenged the people to finish the temple within a year, and they did! President Gibbons firmly believes that there will be a stake here in Siberia, and that it could happen within a year. I want to see the formation of this stake, and I might even ask for an extension to my mission in order to see it. I know it is not my choice, for it is the Lord's will, but that is how I feel about it.
President Gibbons continued about our duties as leaders to receive revelation. We need to be 100% worthy and in tune to receive that crucial revelation. I have never really realized how powerful revelation is. As a district leader, I have definitely received guidance, and it is amazing. The hand of God is literally directing this work, and I have seen it.
We have a new investigator, and his name is Oleg. He was actually taught by the missionaries a while ago, and for some reason they stopped. He has a wife and daughter, and he is a manager for a coal mine. He loves the Book of Mormon, and he has come to church a few times. He is such a nice guy, and we hope to meet with his family. We invited them to church, but they were unable to attend. I really hope that they will accept the gospel, as our branch desperately needs families.
Being here in Siberia, where the church is so young in its growth, I have seen the necessity of programs such as Family Home Evening, and Home and Visiting Teaching. If we fulfilled these callings to the full potential, there would be fewer less active and inactive members of the church. These programs are to save souls, which is our duty.
I hope to start a finding activity, to find families. The church really wants missionaries to use family history to find new investigators, and I had some ideas. We don't have a family history center in Russia, but we could hold a seminar. People here are really interested in their ancestry. I am planning to set up booths on the street, and inviting people to learn more about family history, and about the websites that the church owns. Did you know that you can index Russian documents? Returned missionaries are doing that, and what would be a greater use of time that to help index documents? I really want to get involved in that when I return...in a year's time.
Four days, and I will have been a missionary for a year. Wow how time flies. I can't believe what I have learned and experienced here. There is no greater experience for your life than a mission. I have learned things that I could never learn by myself. I have seen the hand of God literally guide and direct my life. I have seen people change their lives, and how much more wonderful and full their lives are thanks to the gospel. This is literally the work of God. I have literally had a feeling, and when I acted upon it, miracles happened! I have discovered that we are in the company of prophets and disciples. In a way, missionaries are prophets, and their service is their dispensation. President Gibbons called me a "boy prophet" much like Joseph Smith, called to build His kingdom in the far reaches of Siberia. I don't know how this work could be accomplished by someone as young as me, unless God was with him.
God lives, and His Son Jesus Christ is our Savior. There is no other power upon the earth that we can be forgiven of our mistakes and sins. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ DID reveal themselves to Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon is literally the word of God. This gospel is true, and I could never deny it. Families will be together forever. Death has no power upon us. I can't wait until we can all meet together again, to live in an eternal family in eternal happiness. My job right now is to try to get as many people as I can to return with me. Please stay faithful to this gospel, because life is nothing without family, and family is everything in the gospel.
I love you all, this gospel is true.
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)
Старейшина Хогган (Сибирский Посланник)
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