Make Christmas meaningful

Dear Family,

I guess I still need to write an e-mail even though I am going to be calling you tomorrow. First of all, Mother would be very upset with me, that she didn't get her weekly e-mail. So here it goes, and С Рождеством ( Suh- Rozh-dest-vom) Merry Christmas! It is going to be weird to celebrate Christmas once again in the frozen winter wonderland of Siberia. This week is supposed to be very warm, which means not -30 degrees Celcius. You can definitely feel the difference. By -40, it is just cold, and you freeze anyway. I am glad I came prepared with very warm clothing. I don't see how some people here walk around without gloves, when I feel my bones freezing in my mittens with fur-lined gloves inside. My shopka is very warm. So don't worry mother, I will not be frostbitten when I come home.

There is not much to say about the work here. The work is slow, since people here are so busy with the holidays, final exams, and work. Most of the time, the Gospel is the last thing on people's minds. I remember one man we talked to, Yaroslav, who honestly admitted that if we gave him a Book of Mormon, he would just place it on the table, and it would go unread. It made me think about what I did during Christmas at home. I never remember planning any parties or huge outgoings, but I remember other people going crazy with all of the bustle of dinners, staff Christmas parties, ward caroling, secret Santas, and many of the countless Christmas activities that fill our schedules to overflowing. I was stressed out after just thinking about it. I did not want any of that when I get home. I don't mean I don't want to celebrate Christmas, but I want to keep my schedule open, so that I could truly focus on the meaning of Christmas. The Savior was born.

I remember we got a random call from a member, telling us that an inactive member appeared at the branch building, and that the person wanted to talk to us. We speedily arrived at the branch, and sat down with the person. After a few minutes talking, I asked about their faith in God and in the Savior. This person believed in God, but due to inactivity, weakened in the belief that He truly loved that person. This person didn't fully understand why Christ suffered for people's sins. This person was confused, and was tired of life. At that moment, I told that person, "You need to strengthen your relationship with the Savior. He loves you, and if you want to feel that love, you need to work at it. The blessings you want in life can only come if your relationship with Jesus Christ is strong." Maybe that is why we are so stressed during the holidays. We are so caught up in the bustle of everything, that we deny ourselves feeling the love of Christ, especially on this day of His birth.

t is in the Sunday School answers we find the cure to our stress and troubles. Prayer, scripture study, keeping the commandments. Prayer is how we communicate with God. If we are too tired to pray, then we are denying our connection to Divinity, and denying ourselves spiritual renewal and the ability to lay all our problems on the altar. The scriptures open up doors of revelation, giving us the answers to our problems. The Holy Ghost can whisper to us those things that are necessary, and give us the peace we need, for He is the Comforter. Keeping the commandments, especially Sabbath Day observance and partaking of the sacrament to renew our covenants, provides us with a recleansing of the spirit. It is my weekly battery. If I couldn't attend Sacrament Meeting, I would not survive. But in all these things, our intent and desire to draw closer to the Savior must be present. We cannot have our lips draw closer while our spirits are left far behind. Rote repetition will not provide results.

I was reading in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 91, I believe, about the Apochrypha. There was a very interesting verse. In summary, everything that is done with the Spirit is for the benefit of man. I thought about it, and if we have the Spirit in our lives, then everything that we do will be done by the Spirit, and will help us improve. On the other hand, if you do not have the Spirit, then everything you do will not benefit you. I could read the scriptures, have my eyes glaze over the pages, but without the Spirit, I get nothing out of it. So, during this holiday season, we need to make sure that we have the Spirit with us always. Take a couple minutes every morning to kneel and pray, read a few verses of scripture, or listen to hymns. Treasure up the Spirit in your lives, and then all you will do will be for a benefit. I believe that if you have the Spirit, you can even make cooking or shopping for your benefit!

What I decided in conclusion is that I want to leave the last weeks of Christmas completely open, and only allot time to family, and for my Savior. It is interesting that when the angel proclaimed the birth of Jesus Christ, he did not first call Him the Christ, Emmanuel, Holy one of Israel, the Son of God, but the Savior. Truly Jesus Christ is our Savior, who was born to a life destined for pain, sorrow, suffering, and eventually crucifixion and death. He did that because He loves us. His suffering allowed all of us to have eternal life, and eternal joy, eternal peace, eternal family. My favorite Christmas hymn is "Silent Night". Every time we would sing it, I would feel this overwhelming peace come over me. Despite all the trials we face in life, we can still feel peace, through Jesus Christ, our Savior, the Prince of Peace.

I know that He was born, that He lived, and that He died. I know that he provided the way for us all to be cleansed from our sins and transgressions. I know that His gospel is a gospel of happiness and peace. How grateful I am for loving parents who taught me about my loving Savior. I know that even though I am half a world away from my family, through the Savior we can be even closer than before. I love you all so much, and I love my Savior.

"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day...a Savior, which is Christ the Lord...Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth Peace. Good will toward men."

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)
Старейшина Хогган (Сибирский Посланник)

Excited to Skype with you for Christmas!!

First of all, Congratulations Bryson! I can confidentially say that only the most diligent and obedient missionaries are sent to such a place. I respect you, and I give you some advice. First of all, embrace the language! Definitely use my Rosetta stone, for it gave me a brief knowledge of the language. Second, start talking to people now. There is an Elder Anderson in our mission that talked to Russians by Skype before his mission, and just asked to practice. He didn't say he was going to preach, but just practice speaking Russian. I wish I did that, and I highly recommend you to do it. Finally. Start NOW to live the missionary lifestyle. Wake up at 6:30, exercise, pray, study the scriptures, study the language, and keep yourself busy every day. Do not be lazy, because it will be so much harder our in the field.

Elder Hoggan and Elder Nichols

On the other side, be prepared for the cold. It is getting below 30 Celsius, which is about the same in Fahrenheit. Just below 20 degrees, and the rest is all the same: cold. My new Shopka is really warm, and now I just have to worry about frostbite on my face. Don't worry, Bryson, this is the fun part of serving in Russia. At least it is not in Siberia...Many are called but few are frozen... The other picture is our apartment building front door on the inside. It is that cold. I am so grateful for the sleeping bag that you had me pack with me. I am never cold at night thanks to that.

ice on the INSIDE of apartment door

Also, Mom, it WAS in fact a counselor of the General Relief Society Presidency. They came to give a training course about relief society and primary, and I was one of the office elders to help conduct the meetings. We had a lunch with them, and I told her where I was from, and she remembered Pres. Peterson. She promised to pass a hello from me. So that is the story. I think I talked about it in a previous letter, but I can't remember.

New Shopka hat

This has been a pretty solemn week, as Sister Sanford left for home. Despite the fact she only served here in Novokuznetsk for a month, she made such a difference to the work, and the members will miss her terribly. In a district meeting, she gave a very interesting piece of advice. "Everything hard now will stay hard, so you might as well work on it." It is so true, especially in the missionary field. Contacting people never gets easier, speaking the language never gets easier, even waking up at 6:30 every morning never gets easier. Every time I do it it is hard, just as hard as my first time. What changes is the desire and will. Over time, I have seen that it is better to just go and do, rather than think and delay. Sometimes, you just need to act immediately, or it is too late. Don't decide whether or not to talk to someone about the gospel, just go and do. This goes as well with things after the mission, and I thought about what I would do now to prepare for the future. There are many skills needed, such as talking to strangers, conducting meetings, and giving lectures, are just a few things that are practiced on a mission. I want to do all I can now, so that I am used to doing such hard things later, my will becomes stronger, and I can do it even better the next time.

We had a zone conference this last week, and with it new transfers. I am going to be staying in Novokuznetsk with Elder Nichols, but I am now going to be the district leader. Remember that I was district leader in Barnaul? I guess that Heavenly Father wants me to learn a little bit more before I finish my mission. It is strange to think that there have been only four transfers in my entire mission where I did not have a leadership position, be it trainer, district leader, or office elder. I feel like the least qualified to perform in any of these offices, but Heavenly Father thinks otherwise. It is difficult for me to be a leader, maybe because I expect so much out of myself. I just want to share the gospel with as many people as possible, but I have my weaknesses, and I sin in my desire, to quote from Alma. You just have to be satisfied with what you have been doing, and pray to Heavenly Father that your work is approved by Him.

In Zone Conference, we were talking about the symbolism of the birth of Jesus Christ. President Gibbons is a man of vision and wisdom. He is rich in the knowledge of the gospel, and in the symbolism of God. He makes you think in ways that I have never thought possible. The signs of the Baby Christ are so much deeper to me than before. What are swaddling clothes? What is so significant of a manger? The angel said to the shepherds that they would be a sign unto them. In the Greek text, swaddling clothes was a word for fabric that notified of royalty, such as the Scottish tartan. So Christ was in a way wearing the royal robes of King David, as HE was heir to the kingdom. What was a manger, but a feedbox for the Oxen. Oxen are very symbolic in the scriptures, for sacrificing, for the baptismal font in the temples, and the symbol of the tribe of Ephraim. The prophecy of the gathering of Israel was that those of the tribe of Ephraim would go to the edges of the earth, and push with their horns the children of Israel together. The feedbox is important as well, for isn't Christ the "Bread of Life"? Isn't He the one who provided nourishment for the thousands? As before, He is the source of nourishment for a weary soul, draped in the robes of divine royalty, and with His servants herding the children of Israel together. It could even apply to us, I thought. When we make special covenants in the temple, we are given special garments, as if cloth symbolizing our divine royalty as children of the Most High God. We are supported by our divine heritage, like the oxen support the baptismal font. We are of the House of Israel, and we have a role to gather the lost children. We are sources of nourishment for these weary souls. People come to us, asking for the Bread of Life, which is only through Christ Jesus, whose name we missionaries proudly wear.

Now it is difficult for us to meet our investigators, especially since the holidays are coming. People are busy enough on a regular day, but now Christmas and New Year's really mess things up. We haven't been able to meet our previous investigators this week, and we are trying to find new ones every day. We will be having a fireside, so to speak, about the Book of Mormon this Saturday, and we hope to have many people attending.

I love you all, and I pray for your safety. I hope that at this hectic time, you can remember the One who we all love, and adore, and give our praise to. May we strive to strengthen our relationship with Jesus Christ, our Savior, at the time when we celebrate His birth. I know He was born on this earth. I know that He walked amongst the people, taught them, healed them, organized His Church, and He suffered for us. Not only our sins did He suffer, but every single moment of our existence did He suffer. Every single pain and hardship he went through. When we can't go any more, He carries us the rest of the way. When I felt like I couldn't go any more, He is always there to carry me in His arms, let me rest for a little bit, but then sets me down. Why can't I stay in His arms? They are so warm and safe. He needs me to find others to let Him carry them, and He knows that I can do this. Despite all of my trials and weaknesses, He knows that I can do this. I know this with my entire heart, which is full of joy and gratitude for my Savior.

Elder Hoggan

(P.S. Due to changes in missionary schedules, my release date has been changed to April 3. President Gibbons has given us permission to let us determine if we want it to stay that way, or leave as originally planned May 1. I just found out about this, and I am still not fully sure what Heavenly Father needs me to do. I will be praying, and I ask for your prayers. We will find out about Skype, and then e-mail you before the end of this week. We just need to coordinate with the branch president, since that is the only computer available to do Skype.)

What is a testimony?

I hope you can listen to those audio files. One is my testimony in English, and the other is in Russian. I hope you can hear all that I said. 

Dear Family, and Matt! I was actually thinking about him this last week, and wondered if he was home yet. Well, your email answers my question! I guess you will all just have to wait a little longer before it's my turn. I can't wait to converse with him in Russian, while he speaks in Korean. We can just smile and nod, just like our first days in the field, not understanding a single thing that was said, and really wondering what they taught us in the MTC. An interesting fact is that I have seen a few Korean people here in Russia. There are so many different races of people, which was really surprising to me in the first place.

About your questions about Дед Мороз (Ded More-ohz) or Father Frost:  he is actually pretty similar to the stories of Santa Claus. A big difference is that Дед Мороз is like the Jack Frost of America. He brings in the cold and snow, and makes snow appear on the houses and trees with his magical staff. He looks very much like Santa Claus, but his coat reaches down to his ankles, and is completely covered in fluffy fur, and it is usually a white or blue color. Дед Мороз literally means Uncle Frost, and he has a helper, his granddaughter Снегурочка. She is the one who helps him, and plays with the children. Дед Мороз needs no elves to help him! They go around on a sled, pulled by horses, and visit the people, giving gifts. They don't fly around, though. Дед Мороз doesn't live in the North Pole, but in a city in Russia, which I can't remember. Whenever I heard the name, I thought someone was saying "Great Duck". It is an actual city, and people live there. If you wanted to, you could send him a letter, but children don't write letters to him asking for gifts. You can't go to the local store and sit on his lap, either. It is cool to think that though many miles separate these two countries, the traditions are similar, and joy of family, giving gifts, and love are universal.

This week, I had been thinking about what a testimony is. I was given an opportunity to give a spiritual though about testimonies in a district meeting, and this is what I came up with. All the time we are told to share our testimony, but people do it so differently. What is a testimony? Being a missionary, I have found joy in the simplest of terms. I broke down what a testimony is into four parts: Truth, Blessings, Promise, and Spirit.

A testimony is a declaration of truth. In declaring truth, it needs to be short and simple, to allow the person to understand, because sometimes the truth is new. Short simple sentences make the truth clear, and allow you to pause, and give the person time to ponder what was said in their heart. I know the church is true. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet.

When testifying of truth, you need to share the blessings or reasons the truth is important to you. If the truth was the "what", then the blessings are the "why".  This makes a testimony even more personal, and more heartfelt, because you explain why this truth applies to you.  I know the Book of Mormon is true. When I read the Book of Mormon, I can feel God's love for me. I can feel peace when I read the Book of Mormon.

Now in sharing your testimony, you share it with someone. If they are to benefit from your testimony, you need to explain to them what they can do to have the same blessings. Without this promise, people don't realize that they can change. They hear words thinking, "Well, that is nice for them." If you promise blessings, then they think, "I want peace in my life, maybe I should read the Book of Mormon."  I know the Book of Mormon is true. When I read the Book of Mormon, I feel peace. I know that if you read the Book of Mormon, you can find peace in your life.

Finally, you need the Spirit. The wonderful thing is that if you follow the first three steps, the Spirit is already there. The Spirit testifies of truth, you are sharing experiences when the Spirit testified to you, and you are allowing the Spirit to testify to others. Having a true, heartfelt, sincere testimony, shared with love can change hearts.

Why am I talking about testimonies? Because this week, we were unsuccessful in meeting with any investigators, so we had a lot of time to practice. When you have no meetings, it is time to hit the streets! I actually saw the benefits of sharing this pattern, especially with this one man.  We were walking late a night, and it was very cold. There was no one on the street, and we just heard the snow crunching under our boots. We saw a dark shadow in front of us, and realized it was a human, so we got ready to talk to him. I greeted him, and asked him how his day had gone so far. He actually stopped and answered that things were okay in his life. I took the opportunity to take off my glove and shake his hand. (In Russia, it is incredibly rude to shake hands while wearing gloves, even when the temperature is well below freezing.) I asked his name, it is Oleg, and we told him our names. I told him we were missionaries with a message about God and Jesus Christ. I asked him if he believed in Jesus Christ. He said he did, but he was unsure what that faith was meant for him in his life. I told him that faith in Jesus Christ allows us to repent of our sins and mistakes, and allows the burdens to be removed from our backs. I don't know why I shared that, but the man took it to heart, and acknowledged that he would like to feel that. I told him that we have another record of Jesus Christ, which helps us to know how to accept His sacrifice in our lives. I showed Oleg the Book of Mormon, and opened the Book of Mormon to Moroni 10:3-5. We waited silently as he read it. Afterwards, I testified to him, that I know the Book of Mormon is true. I have felt peace in my life when I read it. My faith in Jesus Christ is stronger. I have felt His love in removing my burdens and mistakes. I promised him if he read the Book, he could feel that peace, and know for himself who Jesus Christ is. He was so grateful for the Book of Mormon, which we left him, and we exchanged numbers. I told truth. I shared blessings, I promised him, and the Spirit was there. It was perfect, and both of us left that meeting edified. We have not met with him yet, but I am just glad that I was able to edify this man.

I am sorry that there is not much else, as sometimes there are slow moments in a mission. The most important thing to know is what to do when there is nothing to do. You have no meetings, so then you find someone to teach. Your investigator canceled a meeting, so then you find someone to teach. You have half an hour before curfew, and you are five minutes from home, so you find someone to teach. I don't know how it was for Matt in Korea, but no matter what the weather, pouring rain or blizzard, be in 100 degrees or 40 below zero, you go and find people to teach out on the streets.

I love you all, and thank you for your prayers. I am grateful for the friends who listened to the call from a prophet to serve. They are my greatest friends, and I can't wait for the time when we can share all the experiences we have had on our missions, be they good, bad, or ugly.

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

I hope we can strive to be more like the Savior.

Dear Family:

By golly, it has gotten so cold the last week! It has gotten about -27 degrees Celsius this last week. Don't worry, I have a really nice coat and hat, and scarf. I have not even felt frozen, not just because of the warm clothes, but also the warmth that the gospel brings in life.

I hope you like the picture of our district. They are so amazing, and I love them all. From left to right, we have Elder Turley who is our faithful district leader. He is one transfer older than me, which scares me, because I only have 5 months left...Next is Elder Harrison, who is the amazing singer of the mission. Then is Elder Nichols, the basketball champ, and Sister Sowards, who got her call in Taiwan. She was a humanitarian worker there, and taught an English class for little children. Then there is Sister Sanford. Did I tell you that she trained two sets of sisters (She served in a threesome) twice? I was so excited to hear that she was serving here in my beloved city, because she is awesome. Our district is strong, and we are finding people ready to hear the gospel.

Elder Turley, Elder Harrison, Elder Nichols, Elder Hoggan, Sister Sowards, Sister Sanford

One of our investigators, Luba, is amazing. She is the mother of a member, and she has a solid testimony of the Gospel. In sacrament meeting, she bore her testimony, her first time ever, about how she knows the gospel is true. She should be baptized any time. We are just waiting for when she feels ready, when it is the right time.

We also met with my friend Nikolai. I had the impression to share these verses about the people of Alma, who were in bondage, and were forbidden to pray. When God answered their prayers, he said that he would give them strength, so that they could bear their burdens. He didn't say that He would get rid of their burdens, though. I told Nikolai that in times of trial, God doesn't change the circumstances. He changes the person. I have seen how I shouldn't ask for Heavenly Father to get rid of a trial in my life, just make everything better, but rather I ask for strength. Trials are a time of growth and development, and God wouldn't deny us a time to grow. Heavenly Father changes us, not the circumstance. Like Nephi, he didn't ask for God to remove his bounds, but to give him strength to break the binds. I testify that God helps in trial, that He gives us the necessary strength. Nikolai really took to heart those verses when he read them. He wrote down the reference, so he could read it again. It really testified to me that the Spirit tells us what we need to teach in order to help people.

Another person is Valeri. He came to church last week on an invite. We met him on the street, gave him a Book of Mormon, and invited him to church. He came, and then he came again this last Sunday. We will be meeting with him later this week. When I asked him what he thought about church. He said that he felt "peaceful, and comfortable." I testified to him that it was indeed the truth, that the Holy Ghost testifies to us through peaceful feelings. He plans to come more often, which is a sure sign of conversion, and desire to accept the gospel. It was just a miracle that we met him, and then invited him to church.

President Gibbons has given us a charge to use the Book of Mormon in our finding efforts, and I have seen the fruits of it. One man, Yuri, we met on the street, and talked to him about the Book of Mormon. At first he was very critical, and very agnostic. He asked for evidence of its truthfulness. Usually, we use the Book of Mormon as evidence of the truthfulness of our message, but evidence for the evidence? I felt the need to open up to Moroni 10:3-5, which every single missionary knows. I read him the passage, and testified that I received that answer for myself. I felt the spirit then, and I saw a change in the man's countenance. He was happy. I could tell that the Holy Ghost had impressed on this man of the truthfulness of our message. We didn't get his contact information, but we planted a seed. I was reading in the Bible, and Christ says that there are some sent to plant, and some are sent to harvest. There are some who harvest where others plant. So the seeds of faith we plant in others, in investigators, might not be harvested ourselves, but maybe by other missionaries. A perfect example is Pavel. I taught him, but it wasn't for another year before he accepted the gospel. My companion and I planted the seed, but other missionaries harvested. Both are necessary to gather the fruit, and both are important. No effort is wasted, as it says in Preach My Gospel.

We also met with another Pavel. What is interesting is that Kirill knows the man, since they both were in the same Jehovah's Witnesses congregation. Kirill was just in shock. This man seems to have real intent, as he actually prayed about the Book of Mormon after the lesson. It is so difficult to get an investigator to pray, and especially have them ask questions. It amazed me, and we will be meeting later this week.

I love this gospel, and I know it is true with all my heart. I love the scriptures. I have read the Book of Mormon 7 times already, and every time I read it I feel my testimony of its truthfulness grow. I know that the church has been restored by Joseph Smith, and that the church is run by a living prophet. I love you all, and I pray for you. I hope that in this time of the Savior's Birth, we can strive to be like Him even more. I love my Savior, and I know He lives. He Atoned for our sins, he Atoned for my sins. He saved me, and he saves me every day. Every time I feel like I can't go on, He is there to carry me those next steps.

I love you all.

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

P.S. I got the name tag, and I will try to send it to you, when we are in Novosibirsk next week. Also, I had the idea to record my testimony, in Russian and in English, so that you can hear it. I thought that you might want to hear it.

Thanksgiving

Dear Family:

I can't believe that I am in this “trainer” seat for the third time already. You would think after being a trainer twice I would get the hang of it. The reality is far from that. I still don't know what I am doing, even though I have been out for more than a year and a half. Every single day brings even more surprises.

What first happened this week, we went to Novosibirsk for training of the new missionaries. The main message of this training for the trainers was about unity and love. You need to love your companion and work together with them. That is why they are called a companion. If you don't work together, then the work stops. It doesn't just slow down, but it stops.

Elder Nichols is from Linden, or pretty much Orem. A majority of missionaries in our mission are from Orem, which is interesting. He actually played basketball in the same high school as Elder Harper, my former companion. (President Gibbons promised to send pictures of our companions to our parents, so you will have to tell me when you get it, because I don't have one yet...) That is his forte, basketball. He was one of the big players at his high school. How sweet, to have one of the greatest basketball players paired up with one of the worst basketball players in the world. Junior Jazz still haunts me to this day. But that is okay, because Elder Nichols has great desire to share the gospel, despite his strugglings with the language. I am in a similar position as my trainer was, except he was branch president, too.  I couldn't do that.

Thanksgiving

The day we got into Novokuznetsk, we had Thanksgiving. By the picture, you can see that we know how to celebrate Thanksgiving. We went around the room, saying things we were really grateful, and family was the biggest. I remember the mashed potatoes were my most favorite dish, but I had never made them before. But I ended up making them for everyone, and they turned out wonderful. You would have been proud of me, Mom. But our district is amazing. Elders Turley and Harrison are fireballs, and Sisters Sanford and Sowards are really making a big difference in the work around here. I just hope that I and Elder Nichols can make up the difference.

 

I just can't get over the fact about the Book of Mormon. It is by far the greatest tool we have in missionary work. We met this man by the name of Valeri, and gave him a Book of Mormon. He asked about our church services and we told him they would be the following day. We were unable to get any contact information, but there he was, the next day at church! I was amazed, because I had never seen anyone who we met on the street come to church before we even taught them! He plans to come even more, and we plan to meet with him this week.

Another miracle was Andrei. We were walking outside yesterday, and we started talking to this man about the church. I was explaining about the Book of Mormon, and I testified how I knew the Book of Mormon to be true. He asked, "How can you know if it is true?" I almost thought I was being filmed in a church movie. Me and Elder Nichols that very morning in companionship study practiced teaching people about the Book of Mormon, and how to receive an answer of its truthfulness. I happily explained that first he needed to read it, and then ponder the message in his heart. Then ask God in prayer, if the Book of Mormon is true. The answers that come from prayer are not usually loud, but more like feelings of peace and joy. That is the Holy Ghost testifying of truth. There have been a few cases where I have met someone on the street, and I recognized the Spirit testifying. That moment, I felt him strongly, and I knew that Andrei felt it as well. We exchanged numbers, and plan to meet later this week.

Now a completely opposite story, we met a man on the street who wanted nothing to do with us. I tried to share a message of the truthfulness of the Gospel, but he would not listen, and continued to call our church a cult. I felt anger rising in my heart, I really wanted to argue with this man, but I held my cool and simply stated that I knew our church was not a cult, but the true church of Jesus Christ, and bade him good luck with his life. We left with his mocking in our ears. Sometimes I wish I didn't know the Russian language, so that I didn't have to understand the horrible things some people say. I am really grateful, though, that I left a good impression for this man. I didn't raise my voice, I didn't insult him, I just shared what was dear to my heart. I am also grateful that Heavenly Father gives everyone the chance to receive the gospel, and we were just one step bringing this man to the truth.

Another thing that impressed me happened this week. The branch building was in deep need of a repainting, and the members came for many days to paint the walls. They would come and work late into the night, so that the building would be ready for Sunday. It reminded me of my studies in the scriptures about the ones truly converted to the faith "standing in holy places." The most obvious holy place would be the temple, but these members are not able to enjoy the blessings of the temple constantly. Where else is a holy place? These members spend a lot of time at the branch, not just to help, but they realize that it is in fact a holy place, and they can be safe here. It reminds me of a member who was bombarded with anti-Mormon material at home, and she would stay at the branch, because she wanted to stay in "holy places". Another holy place, unlike the story, home is another one, even comparable to the temple. The home can only be holy if the ones who reside are holy. I am grateful for a family who taught me the holiness of home. I guess that is why I never needed a curfew, because I wanted to stay in the holy place which was my home. May we do all we can to make our homes "holy places".

The work is going forth nobly. I wonder if there was news of the 2nd stake in St. Petersburg. Satan is losing his grip on these people, and righteousness is prevailing. I am grateful to be part of this service, of this battle for truth and purity. I just hope that I am still here when there is a stake formed here in Novosibirsk. I don't know, but no matter what happens, I know that I served when I needed to, and that my service is acceptable before God. I pray every day for you, my family. I pray for you, my friends. I pray for you, all who are looking for the truth. I know we have it. I know we have the fullness of the Gospel. Jesus is the Christ. His church has been restored. I know it.

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

P.S. The picture of me with another elder is Elder Dawson. We spent a few weeks in Novokuznetsk together. The other with all of the missionaries is all of the trainers and their companions having dinner together.

Elder Dawson

 

A few questions: Which conference was that talk from you told me about? Also, who in the family has received a written letter from me? I just want to make sure I didn't forget anyone. Then finally, was Les Miserables the musical made into a movie? I saw a preview and almost screamed out loud...just some little nice information.