May we ever stand....

Dear Family:

What a week! First of all, this week I finished the Book of Mormon in Russian for the third time...reading out loud! I hear so many times that mission presidents promise their missionaries if they read the Book of Mormon out loud, then they will be fluent in their language. It didn't work for me. I guess that Russian is too awesome to learn that easily. Reading out loud is so difficult, but it is great practice.

President Gibbons was impressed when he heard my goal to read the Book of Mormon 12 times before I go home, and he even copied my reading chart I made to keep track of my reading. He told me that he wants to do similar goals, and also read the Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price in three months. I figured it out, and I have a new goal: To read the Standard Works of the church in Russian every three months, while reading the Book of Mormon in Russian every month. That is about 40 pages to read every day, and it is not a challenge for me at all. Every time I read the scriptures, I have been gaining new knowledge and insight. One such insight was about Koriantumer. At one point, he is seeing all the destruction of the Jaredites, and he realizes that the prophecies of Ether were being fulfilled. He recognizes that he was leading the people to destruction through war, and he repented and tried to stop it. What I understood from this is that even though Koriantumer might have realized he made serious mistakes, he knew that there was a possibility to change. Unfortunately, the people did not want to, and they were destroyed. Were his efforts in vain, his energy wasted in a fruitless effort? No. He repented, and tried to make amends. We know of Alma the younger and his miraculous conversion, but Koriantumer did not have an angel to call him to repentance. He did that all on his own. We can all change, even though it is hard. Though is seems too difficult to change, it is possible, and any effort is worth it.

Elder Harrison and I got a call on Thursday from President Gibbons, and we were needed to leave the next morning to Finland! It was a huge surprise to us. We packed our bags, and went on our way. We had to send visa documents to the travel agency in Finland, so that the visas could be made in time for the missionaries. This was no vacation, especially when it started pouring rain while we were walking to the temple housing. We were carrying boxes and cartons of food, and they all got soaked. The worst thing was when we were drying off, Elder Harrison found an umbrella that he left in his backpack, perfectly dry...

On the flight to Moscow, I met this kid, about 20 named Denis, who was going to military school. He was very nice, and he showed me this film on his phone of students at the military academy practicing how to control riots. They had all of these shields, and they had to keep close while the "mob" would throw snow balls at them. It was very interesting to talk to him. You always meet very interesting people, and it is good to talk to them.

Fortunately, we were able to go to the temple and perform baptisms and endowments. It was my first time baptizing and confirming in Russian, and it was a wonderful feeling. When at the veil, the attendant was holding a chart that had the words in different languages, as people speak Finnish, Russian, English, and even Swedish. The attendant had it in Russian, but it was written in a phonetic English. I had no idea how to read it, and I thought he was using one in Finnish. All was well in the end, and we even met a worker from St. Petersburg who knows some of the missionaries here.

Afterwards, we went straight to the airport. We had very little money, and ended up using all of our change to pay for the bus fare. It was a little embarrassing to give the driver a handful of change, and I accidentally gave him too little, and he didn't notice. (I would understand, because I wouldn't want to count all of that change as well.) But me being a good missionary, once we got to the airport, I told him I gave him too little, and I gave him the remaining. It was very little, but the honesty was the principle that needed to be honored.

When we got back to Novosibirsk, it was 8 in the morning, Sunday. Though we were so tired, we went to church, and I enjoyed every moment of it. Everyone was sharing their testimonies, and they had such great spirits. I wish you could be here to listen to these wonderful saints. These people have such strong faith, and their testimonies are inspiring. The elders quorum president in quorum meeting asked for us to share our testimonies, and a member named Dima shared his testimony of the temple and the blessings of being sealed for eternity. I shared how great a blessing the priesthood is in my life, and that we as God's sons must be worthy to use it at all times. There weren't any other people who were willing to share their testimonies, and the elders quorum president asked us why we were so afraid to share our testimonies. I thought about when I was younger, and I never wanted to share my testimony. He commented that as the holders of the priesthood, we were the hope for the sisters, and they look to us for guidance and strength. It really hit me, that as holders of the priesthood, we have such a duty, and are we fulfilling it? It is like the words in Elder Bednar's talk last conference. They still haunt me this day, and I promise myself that when I return home, I am going to fulfill all my priesthood duties to the fullest. Here, where the priesthood is few, I see how crucial it is. There is no excuse to be lax in fulfilling of one's duties. I challenge us all to awake, and be men. Be holders of God's priesthood.

There was a fireside last night, and we went to help translate. The Huffakers, who are a senior couple who will be leaving in about a week for home, shared stories about the pioneers from the Willie and Martin handcart companies. (Do we have any ancestors who were part of those companies, or were a handcart pioneer? Could you send me stories of their journeys to the Salt Lake Valley?) The spirit was very present, as we heard of the suffering of these saints. One could say, was it worth it? Were these people's journey in vain as they perished from hunger, sickness, cold, and fatigue, never to see Zion? No. They were able to suffer in a way that only the Savior could have, as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. They were able to become closer to their Savior, and understand more fully what price He paid for them. Their sacrifices left a legacy, and their testimonies were sealed with their blood. They became martyrs, faithful in the testimony of Jesus Christ. Their testimonies stand as a witness to the world, along with others such as Peter, Paul, Stephen, Abinadai, Joseph and Hyrum Smith, and many others. Shall we not honor their sacrifices?

Elder and Sister Huffaker are on the left

These people here in Russia are the pioneers. They do not walk thousands of miles, or face physical exhaustion. Their journeys are different, but may be just as difficult. They face humiliation and rejection from friends. Family ties are strained. Some are even fired from jobs, for the sake of the Gospel. These people may even walk alone, but they are preparing a legacy of generations of saints to follow. Tears were shed as Elder and Sister Huffaker shared their testimonies of the truthfulness of this gospel.

I am so grateful for my ancestors. For their sacrifices, I am now here sharing the gospel with the blessed people of Russia. I have learned about how to be grateful, as these saints would pray to Heavenly Father in gratitude of their bounteous feast of a cup of flour. These people gave away shawls, Their only covering for warmth, in order to bury those dear ones who perished. These people truly knew how to be like Christ, giving of their all for others. May we be...True to the faith that our parents have cherished. True to the truth for which martyrs have perished. To God's command, soul heart and hand, faithful and true...May we ever stand.

Letter sent by Elder and Sister Huefner

Dear Brother and Sister Hoggan:

You have a fine son serving the Lord in Russia. Of course you have known that for many years, but we want you to know we also recognize what a fine young man he is. We, as Senior Missionaries, are traveling all over Russia helping the local Church leaders learn how the Lord and His Church want them to handle the sacred Church funds. This past week we have had the opportunity to be in the Novosibirsk Mission where we met your son. He and his companion were tremendously helpful in getting us to our meetings, translating for us and in general just watching out for us so we "old folks" don't get ourselves in trouble.

Your son translated for us in some of our meetings. Much of what we talk about involves financial terms and concepts which are new to most Russians and are not part of what the young missionaries are taught at the MTC. But Elder Hoggan did very well. Following one of our meetings he wondered if the Lord was preparing him to go into the accounting profession.

We are so impressed with the high calibre of the young missionaries the Lord has called to serin Russia. Your son is an excellent example of faithfulness and love. He is one of the best of the best. Thank you for being willing to share your son with some of the great people in Russia.
May Heavenly Father bless you and your family for all you do to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Elder and Sister Huefner

Assistant Area Auditors

Dear Family:

I hope that the answers I give for the primary children are enough. The difficult thing about this is that the people of Russia are not so different from us. They are normal people, and do all the things that we do.

What has happened this week?  Well, we were hunting for this member's house to get her Patriarchal blessing recommend, and we ended up walking in circles for an hour, and then came to her house, and met her lion of a dog. I was a little scared, but thankfully the dog was chained up. We also met the Noels, which is the couple from Ogden. You told me about them, and I just can't remember how you know about them. They are really nice, and we saw them off to their assignment in Krasnoyarsk. It is really nice to be able to meet all of the missionaries as they begin their journey of serving the Lord. They don't know what sort of wonderful adventure awaits them. As luck, or God's will, has it, Elder and Sister Huefner are missionaries that help with the financial work in the Eastern Europe Area, and I had to help translate several times to aid in the training with financial record keeping. Remember the Audit??? It was that all over again. I really wonder if Heavenly Father is preparing me to become an auditor instead of a doctor. I have had so much experience than I should ever have received in any other way at my age. I only thought that this stuff was for the old High Priests. J

What else? Oh, there were fires in Krasnoyarsk, and Omsk. Forest fires. All of the missionaries are totally okay, but the air here has been horrible for the past week. It was so dirty. There was a rain storm yesterday, and that cleaned up the air very nicely. How is everyone back home? Is everyone okay? I hope nothing burned down in Utah while I have been gone.

Last week we bought the sisters’ apartment, and this week we were furnishing it, meaning building a bed. It was so hot and sweaty building this bunk bed, and we didn't have the proper tools. In need of a hammer, we found this empty Tequila bottle to bang the nails in. It didn't break, fortunately, and we were so tired after that.

I am so humbled by the calling of being an office elder and the trust that He places in us. President Gibbons has so many concerns with the formation of a stake, Kazakhstan, and everything else. He needs us to help him lighten his load. It is such a calling of trust. Maybe we are not able to do a lot of proselyting, but what would happen if the mission president spent all his time proselyting? The mission would fall apart. The same thing is true with our part. I love serving here, and being so close to the Mission President. I have never worked harder on my mission before, and it is only the start.

Here are the answers to your questions for the Primary children:

Could you write both the Russian spelling and the English phonetical spelling of how you say Choose the Right in Russian?

Выбирай Истину (Vee-Bee-Rai Eee-stee-noo) It literally means "choose the truth" Vybiraiy Istinu

What do the children in Russia like to do for fun?

They like to play on the playground, play with wooden sticks like swords, and just play outside. Sometimes, they just like to walk and talk, or sit on a bench.

How is life different for Russian children (especially LDS children) than for English children?

Most children don't have their own back yard. Most children's families have what are known as a Дача (Dacha) Which is like a cabin, but it is smaller. They like to go to these cabins on weekends, and they work in a large garden, where they grow lots of fruits and vegetables. When going to church, most children take a bus with their family, and sometimes it is an hour away! Most branches have very few children, maybe 10, and they are all different ages. They love to sing songs, and they do the same things that you do in Primary. Children here go to school, like normal, but on certain days they have to dress up very fancy. The girls wear flowers and ribbons in their hair, and boys wear suits and ties. Children here learn English as another language.

 What do you call that furry hat again?

Шапка (Shop-ka)

What do you call a grandma and a grandpa in Russian?

Бабушка (Baboosh-ka) grandma Дедушка (Dead-oosh-ka) grandpa

What Russian toys do the kids play with?

They play with dolls, toy guns, play soccer, and on play grounds. What a lot of people like to do is just walk around and talk, or sit on a bench. Children love stories, and they read books as well, like about Баба Яга (Baba yaga) who is a witch that kidnaps children when they are bad.

What are favorite holidays in Russia and how are they celebrated?

There are some very fun holidays, such as Иоанна Копала (Ee-oh-ah-nah Ko-pah-lah). This is to celebrate the birth of John the Baptist, and how do they celebrate it? They get giant buckets of water, and throw them at people! It is fun, except when you are wearing missionary clothes. One time, this kid tried to scare us with a big bucket, but it was empty.
Then there is Маслоница (Mas-lah- nitza) Where they cook as much as they can with oil (Масло Mah-slo). You eat a lot of Блины (Blee-nee) or Russian Pancakes.
They also celebrate Christmas, but on January 7th. They celebrate it similar as to how we do. Father Frost is like the Russian Santa Claus. He comes to people's houses, and his neice helps him give out presents. They dance with the children, and play games as well.

What are favorite Russian foods?

You know about Blini, and Borchst. There are also Пирожки (Pee-rozh-key) It is a scone that is filled with cabbage, mashed potatoes, meat, eggs, or even jam. They are very delicious. The grossest food is Holladetz. This is a jello made out of the fat of pigs. They have chunks of meat as well. It is considered a delicacy in Russia, but I think it is plain gross.

How can the primary children be better missionaries to their friends?

The greatest thing that children can do is to be a good example. We all want to be like Jesus Christ, so think what Jesus Christ would do. Would he leave someone out of the game? Would he say something mean about another person? Would he read his scriptures and say his prayers? Another thing is to invite their friends to Primary activities, and even Primary at church. Think of how being in primary makes you happy. Other children would like to be happy, and Jesus wants them to be happy as well. Pray to Heavenly Father about who do you know that would like to come to Primary. Pray for help to invite someone, and Heavenly Father will help you.

What advice would you give the primary children about Choosing the Right?

When you choose the right, you have a promise from Heavenly Father that you will be happy. Do you want to be happy? Read your scriptures, say your prayers, have family home evening, and go to church. Be nice to others, and be their friends. You then will be happy. If you don't do those things, you will be sad. No one wants to be sad. Whenever you do something, remember Jesus, and what He did. He went and taught people, he healed those who were sick, and He blessed the children, one by one. He loves the children, and He wants then to be happy. He knows that if you live like He did, then you will be happy. No matter where you are from, from South Weber, Utah or Novosibirsk, Russia, You are children of Heavenly Father, and He loves you so much.

That's all for this week!  I love you ALL!
Elder Hoggan, the Siberian Messenger
Старейшина Хогган (Сибирский Посланник)

Stripling Warriors

Dear Family:

Thank you so much for the pictures and the movie clip. I just barely finished reading in the Book of Mormon about the stripling warriors. What is really interesting is that it says that they had never fought before. Not until their first battle did they every truly wield a sword or weapon of war. How scary would it be to go into battle without any experience whatsoever? Welcome to a mission! I have been in Russia for over a year, and I still have no idea what I am doing. It is a miracle to me that I can even be here and survive. I am not saying it is dangerous, far from it. I am just saying it is pretty difficult to fly thousands of miles to a different country, speak a different language, and teach people about the gospel with no parental guidance whatsoever. Then you stick me in an office where I am working with visa applications, flight plans, and legal documents. I thought I was starting to understand a mission, but I just more realize that I know nothing.

Last week, we were getting a new apartment, and we were finalizing the deal with the landlady, and she started talking about points of the contract she wasn't fully agreeing with. We find out that she is a lawyer, and she wanted to make sure that she wasn't getting the short end of the deal. We have a contract that we always use when renting housing. Fortunately, we had Brother Pyoter, who is control of all of these contracts for all of the apartments being used in the mission. He was able to explain the conditions of the contract. It was good that he was with us, because I know that we would have had no idea how to explain all of these conditions.

 Then we had our first experience with a Presidency meeting. I am 20 years old, and I am already taking part in councils. In order to do this, there is a wonderful video program, like Skype, called Vidiyou, which the church uses in such cases. This way, President Gibbons can communicate with his counselors Brothers Skotskii and Tolomeev, who live on opposite sides of the mission, almost spanning the continental US. Isn't that crazy? I can't say what went on, but it was just amazing at how the church works, that even in difficult situations where the saints are so far away, the blessing of technology can bring them closer together. That doesn't mean that using facebook for eight hours in a day is good for you. J

We actually had a meeting with a man this week, his name is Oleg. We met him at English Club, and he was interested to learn more about the church. He even downloaded the Book of Mormon onto his iPad. When we met with him, he started asking questions. He wanted to know what happened before this life. He says he believes in the soul, but where was the soul before birth? He then wanted to know why we are here on the earth. Then what happens to the soul after death? Elder Harper and I exchanged glances, and then we dove right in into the Plan of Salvation. It was a good lesson, and he asked some good questions, but the lesson went longer than we desired. We hope to meet again with him this Tuesday.

So there is really nothing else that special that is happening. I feel like one of those stripling warriors. I have never wielded a sword. I have no idea how to fight, but I am called to the service. That is all that matters, when it comes right down to it. God doesn't care about your talents, skills, or abilities. He just wants YOU. That is the only thing that you can give to Him, which is yourself.

I pray for you, and hope that all is well with you. I pray for your health, safety, and comfort. We are so blessed to have this gospel, and so many people are suffering without this light. Who are we to withhold this light from our brothers and sisters? In a fireside given by the Huffakers, Sister Huffaker talked about how to help our families be more accepting of the gospel. The majority of members here in Russia are the only members in their family, and it is really hard. I sometimes think how blessed we are that we have such support. Just think of what it would be like to be the only family member that is a member of the Church, and your family doesn't agree with your decision? How hard it would be to have little if no family support? You want to share the gospel with those you love, but how? Sister Huffaker said, "Be an Example" She quoted President Hinckley, and his four-step program of praying; studying, paying tithing, and going to all church meetings. Then she said something important. We are always told "be an example", and we feel happy about our good example. She then said to think of a specific someone that these things could help. Could they benefit from praying with you? Could they benefit from a shared scripture? Could they benefit from coming to church with you?  So this is my challenge to you. Don't just be an example, but be an example to a specific person. Focus on a person, give a name, and do all you can to share the gospel. I expect results.

As missionaries giving commitments, it is to help our investigators repent, and become converted to the gospel. So I am the missionary helping you repent, and become converted to the gospel. Most commitments are in the form of a "Will you..." question, so, "Will you pray for a specific person about how to share the gospel with them, and then invite them to pray, read the scriptures, or go to church with you?' If I am correct, there is only one answer to this question, and that is "yes". After giving a commitment, we promise blessings. "I know that if you share the gospel with someone, your own faith will be strengthened, and Heavenly Father will bless you, for you are helping His sons and daughters."

I know this gospel is true, and I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father, and my Savior Jesus Christ. They have given me so much, and we can only return the favor.

Elder Hoggan

(The Siberian Messenger)