The gospel changes people.

Dear Family,

What can I say today? It has been a really interesting week with many special spiritual moments. First of all, President Gibbons came to the branch, with Sister Sanford, who will be training a new missionary here. This will be the first time that Sisters will be serving here since the city opened 6 years ago. All of the members were so excited to hear this news, and Sister Sanford with her short-term companion were just loved by all. Sister missionaries have a strength and power that no Elder can show. I really respect Sisters who serve on missions, even though it is not their responsibility. Every single missionary has a special work that God calls them to do, that no other missionary can do. There is another elder, Elder Harrison. He was in the Moscow West mission, but then joined our mission when Kazakhstan became a part of us. We were actually in the same branch in the MTC. I had no idea that we would be serving in the same city. He is an amazing singer, and opera singer, and the members were amazed at his talent. He is serving with Elder Turley who is also a great elder, and it is great to see him again.

When President Gibbons came to the city, he shared his thoughts about angels. He told the stories about Moroni, when he visited Joseph Smith, and how we should follow his example as missionaries. When you read the scriptures, there are many references to angels, and it is not necessarily about Heavenly beings. Even missionaries are angels. People notice a light in us. Sometimes people are afraid of us, until they know what we have. We are messengers of truth, and we are also guardians and protectors of light. What I thought about that, is what people think about me. Am I an angel to others? How can I become an angel for people? I guess it is interesting to think how to become an angel, but angels are servants of Heavenly Father, and right now I am a servant. So this last few months I am on a mission, I want to fully strive to be the angel I am supposed to be. Anyone can be an angel, a messenger of truth and light. What that calls for is complete obedience to Heavenly Father's commandments. Study, prayer, and obedience to the commandments are the tools in order to have the Spirit in our lives, and to radiate the light of Christ.


Novokuznetsk Saints

I am not perfect, and I have weaknesses. God understands that, and he trusts me to overcome my weaknesses and strive to be faithful. He blesses us based on our desires and actions. If we are not completely successful the first time, God will help us try again. God always give us second chances. That is definitely the case with my friend Pavel. If you remember a long time ago, when I was serving here my first transfer, we had an investigator named Pavel. He was very religious, and he really liked to argue with us all the time. I wondered if he would ever accept the gospel. Last Sunday, he gave the lesson in Sunday School, and received the Melchizedek Priesthood. His lesson was about the scriptures, and he shared his conversion story, about how he was reading the Book of Mormon, and he eventually understood that God will always speak with His children. It was a wonderful lesson, and I was very impressed. Heavenly Father understands the hearts of His children, and He knows when His children are ready. This man, who I thought wouldn't accept the gospel, is now an active priesthood holder. What a change! The Gospel changes people. I am a witness of the changing power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I just have to say, I love this Gospel, and how it changes people. I have many struggles and weaknesses, but  Heavenly Father waited until I was ready to listen, and he showed me the way to try to overcome them. I am still not perfect, and I still have to be reminded time and again what I need to do. I am learning, and my life is so wonderful. 

I love my family, and their examples to me. I exhort all of you to strive to be faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If there is something in your life that you want to change, it is possible. I am a witness of it.

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

I Know That My Redeember Lives

Dear Family,

What a week this has been for me. To go back to my first city in the mission was almost like a dream. As we are walking down the streets, memories come flooding back to me. We would be on a street corner, and I would say, "I know where we are!" I am still not used to the fact that I am here. Right now, I am serving with Elder Dawson. He will be serving in Kazakhstan. While I am waiting for my new companion on the 21st, and he for his visa, we are enjoying service together.

I came in to Novokuznetsk Tuesday morning, and left Wednesday night to go to Finland. (I sent off those CTR rings, and they should be there soon.) Finland was a very special experience for me. Members from the St. Petersburg mission were there, and one of the workers in the temple was the father of a beloved missionary here, Elder Balashov. This man is now a bishop in the recently formed stake in St. Petersburg. It was very special to me as these Russian saints prayed for us missionaries. I love these people so much, and their spirits are very special.

Stadium Hostel in Finland

If you remember Sergei, he is an investigator from Novosibirsk who I found by giving a Book of Mormon. We have only taught him twice, but we have kept in close contact since he is frequently busy and traveling. I was hoping that I could see him one last time before I left for Novokuznetsk, but he was out of town at the time. As Elder Dawson and I were leaving for the station, we got a call that he was in the city and that he wanted to meet. Fortunately, his office is close to the train station, so I got to talk to him and share my testimony before I left. He even helped me carry my bags to the train. I have seen even more how Heavenly Father blesses us with tender mercies.

Sergei

On Tuesday, there was zone training, and the zone leaders were talking about how we need to increase our love and charity for each other as companions and also for the people. Elder Dawson and I were reading in Preach my Gospel, and there is a test on how well you display the qualities of Christ. Under Charity and Love, there is a question, "I pray for Charity, the pure love of Christ." We thought how though we pray for blessings for those we teach and members, we don't actually pray, asking for Charity. We then made a goal to pray for Charity every single time we pray, if it be during study, during church, or even in a lesson. I have seen how this little act has made me more focused on being charitable. I wasn't blessed with more charity in my life, but I was blessed to be more aware, and every day I am striving to only show love, and only think love. The zone leaders even gave a 24-hour challenge, which is to not complain or criticize, or make any negative comment for a full 24 hours. It is so hard...I still haven't accomplished it. It is a constant effort, but the blessings from it are really desirable. Every day seems more positive. I highly recommend others to try this challenge, and see if your lives are not happier.

The branch is definitely different. There are the same members who I remember, but there are also new faces, which I am really grateful for. I gave a talk in sacrament meeting about living the Gospel, about what is expected of us. We have to have Faith in Jesus Christ, repent, be baptized by proper authority, receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. It is a daily effort, where you can't afford to be lazy one day and come off conqueror. Satan is constantly attacking us. I know he constantly attacks me, throwing doubts and temptations every which way at me. Just one day of being lax can make a weak spot that Satan will directly target. We need to diligently study the scriptures, pray, follow the commandments, make the covenant of baptism, renew that covenant through the sacrament, obtain the Gift of the Holy Ghost, be worthy for His presence in our lives, and do this for the rest of our lives. I remember when I started my mission, I gave a talk in the same branch building, and how halting my Russian was. Now I was freely sharing my feelings, my testimony, and I knew that the Spirit testified that my words were true. I love being a missionary, and testifying. There is no feeling such as testifying of truth, it is happiness, confidence, love, and all the other good feelings wrapped up together in a simple statement. "I know that my Redeemer lives."

The most wonderful thing that happened this week, in my opinion, was that we had a meeting with Nikolai. Over a year ago, I personally baptized him in my second transfer. He is now a holder of the Melchizedek priesthood, and a very faithful man. Even though such a long time passed, our friendship is still the same. I actually learned of his conversion story. He was walking in the streets during winter time, and he saw a piece of paper on the ground. It was an invitation for English. He came to English, and there heard the gospel, and realized that this was truth he was seeking. He says that day when he found that card changed his life. He firmly believes that God placed that card in his path. It was definitely a miracle to me, and I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that puts things in our path to bless us.

I can't say enough how much Heavenly Father loves us. The most wonderful thing is that we can feel His love at any time. Sometimes it may seem that we feel alone, that we can't feel His love. During those moments, that is when we need to humbly pray. I say humbly, because the only thing that can separate us from God's love is ourselves. Emotions like pride, anger, and even fear can place that pavilion between us and God. If we strive to humble ourselves, we can feel that love. We need to have our wills be swallowed up in the will of the Father, and we receive countless blessings.

I love you all so much, and I pray for you. I pray for your safety, your health, and your happiness. You are my greatest blessing.

Elders Probst, Johnson, Rubow, and Hoggan

Faith is a principal of action and power.

Heavenly Father has incredibly confusing ways that are not at all understandable. That is incredibly difficult, but we are required to trust Him, and at least we have the assurance that all will be well. There has been major changes in the last few days, including my adventures in the mission. Today, meaning Monday, I will be leaving for my next assignment in the mission...NOVOKUZNETSK!!! My very first city in which I served is my next step in the eternal journey of me, Elder Hoggan. I will even be training a new missionary. Right from the office into the heart of missionary work. This will most likely be the last city in which I work. I only have four transfers left, six months. Tuesday night, we got a call from President Gibbons, and he was calling about transfers. We already knew the transfers, and sometimes things change. President Gibbons planned for met to at least stay in the office for one more transfer, but Heavenly Father had other plans. I don't know how I feel about it. I was shaking when he called us. I know that it is the will of the Lord, and it will be exciting, but also scary. Training again?

I will be with an Elder Dawson until my new companion comes to Russia. They are getting the new 3-year visas, so they are coming in a week later. Elder Dawson is waiting to go serve in Kazakhstan. A beautiful thing happened there. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been fully registered in Kazakhstan. That means that the government acknowledges that the church exists in the country and that we are allowed to practice our religion. We are only 1 of 17 registered churches in the entire country. You know how much of a blessing this is for these people? Missionaries still need licences to preach, but they are coming in easier. Now four missionaries have the legal rights to preach in Kazakhstan. The work is going to blossom rapidly there, and I am glad.

I just have to say that I really enjoyed being in the service in the office. I have seen an aspect of the church that I never knew. I have worked with church leaders from around the globe. I have been in councils determining future events of the mission. There is a logistics of the church which is almost as important as the spiritual side. I have seen how important it is to keep records. I once had a thought, as me and Elder Anderson were translating for President Gibbons in a district conference. They were talking about family history, and also keeping branch histories. I had no idea that such histories were kept. We are here to preserve the stories. We keep histories of our families, our experiences, our studies. We need to be so diligent in keeping these records.

Also, I had a really good experience with an old friend. If you remember that I served in Novosibirsk, me and Elder Patton had an old investigator, Pavel, who was working on remodeling an apartment. We would meet there, and they were the best lessons ever. I really loved him. I thought one day, "Missionaries aren't teaching him, maybe I could call him and set up a meeting." So I did, and he was really excited to talk, and we met. It was so wonderful to talk to him again, especially since I was more capable in the language. I exhorted him to continue meeting with the missionaries, and to accept the gospel, so that he could receive the blessings that we enjoy every day. It was truly a tender mercy from the Lord, that I could meet a friend again. Before I leave, I hope to say at least one more goodbye.

You asked about my reading...I am proud to say, that on October 30, 2012, I completely read the Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, Study Guide, Preach My Gospel, and The Book of Mormon (I have now read it 6 times). In Russian. This was just under the period of three months. that is almost 5,000 pages of scripture, and over 50 pages a day. I love the scriptures. It was early in the morning, and I woke up for some reason, and I couldn't go back to sleep. I decided to finish reading my scriptures. I read Moroni's promise again, and I prayed to know what I read was true, not just the Book of Mormon, but everything I read. I got an overwhelming feeling of peace. I had worked so hard to feast upon the words of Christ, and just reading it in my beloved language of Russian, I have gained a greater appreciation for them. I love the scriptures, and I exhort everyone to read them. Ponder them. Pray about them, and then you will be given wisdom, knowledge, and power to overcome any challenge, any trial, and find eternal life. This I know to be true.

What my feelings are about this week is about Faith. We are told that faith is a principle of action, as Adam gave sacrifices unto the Lord, and an angel asked him why he did so. Adam had no idea why, it was reason enough that Heavenly Father commanded him to. Faith, as a principle of action, is trusting the Lord that He has a plan, and that every action has a purpose. As people come to know of the restored gospel, they are learning about faith through action. They begin to pray. They read the Book of Mormon. They come to church. They have no idea why, but they learn to trust in Heavenly Father. Now as members of the church, we cannot be satisfied with faith as only a principle of action. It is wonderful, to show faith, but it is not enough. Faith is a principle of power. In an interview I had with President Gibbons, he told me about this principle. I asked "How can we change faith from a principle of action to a principle of power?" He shared me a scripture in Mosiah. When Abinidai was before king Noah, he quotes Isaiah who prophesied of Christ. "He is despised and rejected. A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief..." Then he gives a very powerful insight, as Christ showed the perfect example to us, of "being swallowed up in the will of the Father." Christ in fact did this, when He gave up His life, and suffered for our sins, even though He would have desired that the bitter cup be removed. Nevertheless, He submitted His will, and drank the bitter dregs. In that way Christ was given so much power. He did nothing, save it be which he learned from the Father. He only acted upon the Father's will. We have the ability to create miracles, to change what is now, to what it may become. That is why the Atonement is so powerful. It changes people. Not just making them nicer, or happier, but entirely different beings. If we submit our will to the Father, then we are endowed with His power. He wants nothing but good, and we should desire nothing but good. President Gibbons didn't say how to submit our will to the will of the Father, but that is something we need to ask of God ourselves. I am not saying I am a perfect example of this, but I want to work on it. This is the last leg of my journey, and I want it to make it to the summit.

Family, I love you so much, and I hope you feel of my love at times. I think about you every day, and I pray for you. This family is eternal, and I want nothing more than to stay in this eternity. May we all be endowed with power from on high, as we submit each of our individual wills to the will of the One who knows all, sees all, and loves all.

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

Shoes worn out in service

Yuri Gushin: Area Seventy and wife Natasha

So, questions: About how long will it take to send me another name tag?
When the new elders come in, I will get it, and then I will send it as soon as possible, I am not sure about before Christmas, but I will try.

Are you going to Finland before you come home? Can you buy Russian CTR rings for the grandkids?

Yes, I am. I got enough rings for 11, and I think I already gave one to Britton for Christmas last year, so sorry for the little ones. I may get some more in Finland.

Have you gotten your Christmas package yet?

Yes, and thank you for the mints! I had to open it just to see what I needed to pack. It is ridiculous to put a box in your suitcase with the rest of your stuff. Tell Sarah thank you for the socks. I am wearing a pair right now as I am typing. They are so comfortable.

Do you think you will serve as an office Elder for the rest of your mission, or do you think you'll go back out in the field?

Well, now you know.

Can you get a picture of you with Pres. and Sister Gibbons?

When I go back for training and Thanksgiving, I will definitely get a picture with President Gibbons.

Please get a picture of yourself with your Shopka and coat with snow in the background.

I don't have a shopka yet, and it just barely snowed. Don't worry, it will happen.

Do you know when you will get to call around Christmas time?

No.

Have you heard anything of a release date?

May 1st.

If we could take a small family vacation after you get home (probably in the summer) where would you want to go?

Russia...just kidding. This will take some time for some thinking....Finland??? (That is from Elder Webb, and I like the idea, no matter how ridiculous it sounds.)