Mom, thanks for the pictures! It is just so hard to find time to actually share the pictures I have taken. We have to go about 30 minutes to use the internet. I will try as hard as I can, but I can't promise anything. Don't worry, I haven't lost my camera. I had to get a new bag as the zippers and strap broke on my other one. I will try to use my card for personal purchases. Also, just so you know, it is really goofy in Russia to have the ear flaps down on the hats, only really old people do that. People my age have the flaps up, because it is stylish. Just so you know. I think that will be a cool idea to have my other self talk! I will try to send something.
Elder Duncan and I became companions on the 15th of March, and Elder Smith and I were companions from the 8th of March until the 15th. It was very interesting and awesome. Could you also pray for Elder Smith? Ever since this tranfer started, he has been sick, and we think it has been a sort of food poisoning. I am fine, so don't worry about me. I just ask for your prayers for him.)
Hello everyone
The weather is warm over there? Well, the weather is SOMETHING here. The weather can't decide if it wants to be winter or spring, it has been windy and cold, and wet and rainy. It is snowing huge chunks outside right now, and they are just melting. It took a lot longer than usual to travel back here to Barnaul, as the traffic was horrible. The sidewalks aren't the best, so there are huge puddles and mud everywhere! It is gross, and sometimes it is very stinky. The weather is warm, actually above freezing, but so wet! One time, a bus went in a pot hole and got our pants soaked! It was the same bus which we had to get on. We were covered in dirty water, and with nowhere to dry off, but that is nothing in the life of a missionary.
Just so you know, I am leaving tomorrow for a Leadership Conference, so this will be my third time in Novosibirsk in about three weeks. I have never been this busy in my life, and I am tired! But being tired is a good thing, because it means you are working hard.
Well, we have a few new investigators! Actually found on last monday, right after emailing you. His name is Arcy, or something like that, and I still don't know. Elder Duncan with Elder Topham (one of the assistants to the president) met with him, and his mother was there as well. He is about in his 20s and he is studying to be a doctor. He actually speaks really good English, which suprised me when I talked to him on the street. He and his mom were very interested in the message, and they promised to pray about it. They wanted to come to church, but he was sick. We hope to meet with him again.
Then we met with two brothers Armen and Arman (Ar-men and Ar-mahn). Yeah, it confused me for a while as well. They were old contacts from the area book that I called, and then they randomly called us back, and wanted to meet us that same day. They were interested in English, but then I asked if they would be willing to listen to our gospel message, and they agreed. They are very religious, and have studied about religions. They realized that the orthodox church here has not kept with some of the basic principles of the gospel found in the bible, and they believe that a lot is missing from the bible. Unfortunately they talked a lot, and we were not able to share all we know about the Restoration. They have potential as well.
The other elders have an investigator with a baptismal date, which is a miracle, because this person would not agree for a long time to a date. She also has a lip and tongue piercing, which she mentioned herself and wasn't sure if she was willing to get rid of it. One day, we see her, and she took it out! She personally made the decision to remove it, and hasn't worn it since! She is very wonderful, and the members love her. I will have to conduct the interview as the district leader, and it is exciting.
Elder Duncan is awesome. He is a good example to me, and he helps me to strive to not waste time. If we have no meeting at a time, what a good time to contact some people! He is still unsure about his capability to speak the language, but I was exactly the same when I hadn't been out too long. He has a strong testimony and he is bold, which is exactly what we need here. A mission in Russia is not for the weak of heart. I walk on the wild side. I laugh in the face of danger! Ha Ha Ha!
Also this Sunday, I helped Elder Holmes perform an audit for the branch. He doesn't know a lot of Russian, so I was there to help translate. In the end, I was actually really involved in the audit, translating, and helping writing down on the paperwork. It was a wonderful experience to see some of the organization of the church, that they take real good care of the finances, and are very organized. It was the longest three hours in my life, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Elder Holmes was very grateful for the help, and the branch president even said that this experience is just another step closer for me to becoming a bishop or stake president when I return home....oh no...
We also had a very interesting happening. We had no meetings on Saturday, and to not waste time, we went out contacting people. No one was listening, and while we were out, I get a call from a recent convert, and she asked if we could meet. Not one to turn down a meeting, I readily agreed, and we set up a meeting at the Holmes place later that day. While walking to their apartment, we actually met with her right on the street! She walked with us to the Holmes, and then met with her. She has had many questions, about the second coming of Christ, other doctrine such as our potential to become Gods, and she even talked about how an aquaintance gave her some anti-mormon material. She is still faithful, but it was good that we met to help her answer her questions. She is the only member in her family, and that is hard.
We have a new branch president, President Pertzevoi, who is amazing. In church, he testified that though he is not perfect, he knows that he is called of God to be the Branch President. I felt the Spirit testify to me that it was true, and I was happy for the branch. God always calls His leaders, and endows them with power and with revelation. Though I am not perfect, not in the slightest, I know I was called of God to serve in Russia. I know I was called to be a district leader, and a trainer.
Always Choose the Right- Выберай Истину (Vee-berr-aye ee-ctee-noo)
I ask for your prayers, and I will pray in return. I love you all, and I love these people.
Let the work go forward!
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
God prepares His children to perform His work.
My family, friends, and others that are not in an internet cafe in Russia.
This has been a crazy week, as I have been in Novosibirsk 2 times in the past week. First of all, I got my new companion. Elder Duncan is a stud. He is from Roosevelt, Utah, and he is 19 years old, making him the first companion I had who was younger than me. His father is a vet, and he worked with him, and he told me the most incredible stories they never tell you. He worked in a car dealorship as a job, he has a great singing voice, (though he disagrees) and he is the most hard-working person ever. He was validictorian at his highschool. He says he is not smart, but from his stories I know he is smart. He just works like a machine! It was just so much fun to be at the Mission Home again, with other missionaries, and the new ones with their fire and excitement.
The night before we left, Elder Smith and I made the Funfetti cake you gave us. We planned to give some of the cake to a less-active who's birthday was that day, but he wasn't home for the meeting we planned with him. We put candles, and lit them up, and it lit the whole kitchen. Did I tell you that the lights in our apartment don't work anymore? I don't know why, but the lights don't work. Elder Ortner flipped a switch, and they just went out. All other electronics work, but not the lights. We use lamps all the time, and it is just fun. Well we ate cake and icecream about 10:00 at night, and we woke up feeling horrible the next morning. I am no longer a little kid who can just eat whatever and feel fine. Elder Smith actually got sick, and had a fever and all, but he is okay now.
Then we went back to Barnaul, and we worked for a day. We had a meeting with Nastya and Alexander, the boyfriend and girlfriend. It was a great lesson, Elder Duncan contributed amazingly, and Nasya even prayed for the first time for us! They are surely progressing, and I hope to help them even further.
The other elders in Barnaul have reason to rejoice as their investigator Maria has set a baptismal date for the 14th of April. As district leader, I will have to perform the interview. I am pretty excited, and a little nervous, but it will be all okay.
The Holmes are an amazing couple. Elder Holmes is just like Grandpa Petersen, and I really respect him. They look similar, and they even have the same mannerisms! I sometimes imagine Grandpa looking down at me and laughing his distinct laugh as something funny happens to me, like a babooshka (old lady) yells at me or something.
Then we went back to Novosibirsk, as the missionaries practiced for some musical numbers for the conference. President Gibbons told me that there is a special talent to be able to accompany, and I told him about all my experiences in seminary, institute, and church. He said that they were to prepare me for that moment. I never thought about that, but it was really true. God saw a need for these such talents to be used right here, and he led me through my whole life. God really prepares His children to perform His work. God thinks things through--never forget that.
I have really grown here. I remembber when I first entered Novokuznetsk, and I couldn't even hold a conversation with anyone. Today, I held three conversations at one time on the bus, with an atheist couple, and a Babooshka wanting to invite me to her church. I can't believe I could have done that, and I know that God is constantly helping me. Elder Prokoptsev, who is from Latvia, told me how every time he talks to me, he sees a definite improvement in my speaking skills. It was very comforting to me. I really feel that God is blessing me with the gift of tongues especially for this time.
The conference was the most spiritually uplifting experience in my life. There were so many people, all members of this wonderful church. I was so grateful to have served in 3 cities thus far, as I caught up with old friends, and made new ones. Even the investigator Pavel from Novosibirsk was there. The most amazing thing was the reorganization of the mission. There is now only one district, and every single branch in the district has a full branch presidency. What was special for me was Banya Shabanov as the new branch president of Novokunznetsk, with Vladimir Shelkov as first counselor ( he was baptized my first transfer, if you remember), and Kirill Tsirkov as 2nd counselor. No more will missionaries be branch presidents, but native members. The branch president in Barnaul will be Alexander Pertzevoi, and I am so excited to work with them. I just had such a wonderful experience, just meeting all of those people, all whom I love, it was almost like being in heaven, and meeting each other again. I can't wait until the stake is formed, and I hope that I will still be a missionary when that happens.
You can't describe the love you have for these people, and it is the most priceless gift I have been given for my service. It is probably only a taste of the perfect love that Heavenly Father has for all of His children. I know for a fact that God loves His children. He loves His children here in Siberia, and He is just waiting to bless them with a stake. When they are ready, they will become one. Our job is just to help them be ready. Once this stake is formed, Satan will have no power to overthrow the church here in Siberia. Even if missionaries were forced out of the country, the church would be strong and growing. Then after the stake, there will be a temple, and then Satan would lose even more power. The conference focused on the temple, as all of these saints never talk about the stake without the temple. The Kyiev temple in Ukraine is a very busy temple in the world, and it is because of the Russian saints. It is only a matter of time until a temple is built.
I have just been thinking about our efforts as missionaries. There is little praise from the world. Every action is so small, but in the eyes of Heavenly Father and others in heaven, they are the most wonderful things. Our decisions to serve a mission hasn't directly influenced the government, or improved the environment, but billions rejoice as we serve the Lord, as one baptism turns into a branch presidency, and then into a ward, then a stake, then a temple. One small effort makes a world of difference. No effort is wasted, and your services will be recorded and honored in the annals of heaven. That makes it all worth it.
I love you all, and I ask for your prayers as this district prepares to become a stake.
I pray for you all, and wish you the greatest of blessings.
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)
This has been a crazy week, as I have been in Novosibirsk 2 times in the past week. First of all, I got my new companion. Elder Duncan is a stud. He is from Roosevelt, Utah, and he is 19 years old, making him the first companion I had who was younger than me. His father is a vet, and he worked with him, and he told me the most incredible stories they never tell you. He worked in a car dealorship as a job, he has a great singing voice, (though he disagrees) and he is the most hard-working person ever. He was validictorian at his highschool. He says he is not smart, but from his stories I know he is smart. He just works like a machine! It was just so much fun to be at the Mission Home again, with other missionaries, and the new ones with their fire and excitement.
The night before we left, Elder Smith and I made the Funfetti cake you gave us. We planned to give some of the cake to a less-active who's birthday was that day, but he wasn't home for the meeting we planned with him. We put candles, and lit them up, and it lit the whole kitchen. Did I tell you that the lights in our apartment don't work anymore? I don't know why, but the lights don't work. Elder Ortner flipped a switch, and they just went out. All other electronics work, but not the lights. We use lamps all the time, and it is just fun. Well we ate cake and icecream about 10:00 at night, and we woke up feeling horrible the next morning. I am no longer a little kid who can just eat whatever and feel fine. Elder Smith actually got sick, and had a fever and all, but he is okay now.
Then we went back to Barnaul, and we worked for a day. We had a meeting with Nastya and Alexander, the boyfriend and girlfriend. It was a great lesson, Elder Duncan contributed amazingly, and Nasya even prayed for the first time for us! They are surely progressing, and I hope to help them even further.
The other elders in Barnaul have reason to rejoice as their investigator Maria has set a baptismal date for the 14th of April. As district leader, I will have to perform the interview. I am pretty excited, and a little nervous, but it will be all okay.
The Holmes are an amazing couple. Elder Holmes is just like Grandpa Petersen, and I really respect him. They look similar, and they even have the same mannerisms! I sometimes imagine Grandpa looking down at me and laughing his distinct laugh as something funny happens to me, like a babooshka (old lady) yells at me or something.
Then we went back to Novosibirsk, as the missionaries practiced for some musical numbers for the conference. President Gibbons told me that there is a special talent to be able to accompany, and I told him about all my experiences in seminary, institute, and church. He said that they were to prepare me for that moment. I never thought about that, but it was really true. God saw a need for these such talents to be used right here, and he led me through my whole life. God really prepares His children to perform His work. God thinks things through--never forget that.
I have really grown here. I remembber when I first entered Novokuznetsk, and I couldn't even hold a conversation with anyone. Today, I held three conversations at one time on the bus, with an atheist couple, and a Babooshka wanting to invite me to her church. I can't believe I could have done that, and I know that God is constantly helping me. Elder Prokoptsev, who is from Latvia, told me how every time he talks to me, he sees a definite improvement in my speaking skills. It was very comforting to me. I really feel that God is blessing me with the gift of tongues especially for this time.
The conference was the most spiritually uplifting experience in my life. There were so many people, all members of this wonderful church. I was so grateful to have served in 3 cities thus far, as I caught up with old friends, and made new ones. Even the investigator Pavel from Novosibirsk was there. The most amazing thing was the reorganization of the mission. There is now only one district, and every single branch in the district has a full branch presidency. What was special for me was Banya Shabanov as the new branch president of Novokunznetsk, with Vladimir Shelkov as first counselor ( he was baptized my first transfer, if you remember), and Kirill Tsirkov as 2nd counselor. No more will missionaries be branch presidents, but native members. The branch president in Barnaul will be Alexander Pertzevoi, and I am so excited to work with them. I just had such a wonderful experience, just meeting all of those people, all whom I love, it was almost like being in heaven, and meeting each other again. I can't wait until the stake is formed, and I hope that I will still be a missionary when that happens.
You can't describe the love you have for these people, and it is the most priceless gift I have been given for my service. It is probably only a taste of the perfect love that Heavenly Father has for all of His children. I know for a fact that God loves His children. He loves His children here in Siberia, and He is just waiting to bless them with a stake. When they are ready, they will become one. Our job is just to help them be ready. Once this stake is formed, Satan will have no power to overthrow the church here in Siberia. Even if missionaries were forced out of the country, the church would be strong and growing. Then after the stake, there will be a temple, and then Satan would lose even more power. The conference focused on the temple, as all of these saints never talk about the stake without the temple. The Kyiev temple in Ukraine is a very busy temple in the world, and it is because of the Russian saints. It is only a matter of time until a temple is built.
I have just been thinking about our efforts as missionaries. There is little praise from the world. Every action is so small, but in the eyes of Heavenly Father and others in heaven, they are the most wonderful things. Our decisions to serve a mission hasn't directly influenced the government, or improved the environment, but billions rejoice as we serve the Lord, as one baptism turns into a branch presidency, and then into a ward, then a stake, then a temple. One small effort makes a world of difference. No effort is wasted, and your services will be recorded and honored in the annals of heaven. That makes it all worth it.
I love you all, and I ask for your prayers as this district prepares to become a stake.
I pray for you all, and wish you the greatest of blessings.
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)
Monday, March 12, 2012
Happy Birthday to me from Russia!
So first of all, thank you SO much for the gift! The recorder is exactly what I desired, and it helps so much! I have been using it to keep journal entries, but also I have used it to record my voice, and hear how I speak Russian. I hope to improve my accent, so that people can understand me even more. I love the gift!
So the little blip about Russia for this week is about transportation. Today we got on the bus, and it was FILLED to the brim! We had to squish in order for all of us to fit in. It is funny, but it happens as the weather is cold now. Last week, it was really warm, and even muddy as the snow was melting. There are huge puddles, but now they are frozen solid--ice is everywhere. Everyone stuffs like sardines in transportation. Also, the tickets you get have 6 numbers on them. If you add the first three together, and the second three together, and they are the same, then the ticket is lucky! For example, 123024. 1+2+3=6, and 0+2+4=6 so it is lucky! Sometimes, people eat lucky tickets, but I just collect them.
Hey Family! It's the Birthday Boy...except he's a MAN now. Well, maybe that status won't officially happen until my next birthday when I am 21. How did I celebrate my birthday?...with a cold. It is not big at all, but I have been sniffling a little, and my voice has been a little gravely.
Right now, it is just Elder Smith and me, and we have been working like crazy! It think that is a wonderful birthday present, to help others come unto Christ. We will be picking up our new elders on Thursday, which is so soon, but so exciting! I don't know why we only stay in Russia for three months, then leave to get our Visas renewed, but I think it is because of our reason being here. As foreigners, and as religious officials, we can only have a temporary visa. I just know that in Novosibirsk they take our old passports, and send them somewhere to place new visas in them. We have two passports, one with us at all times, and the other is sent to get the new visa.
Also, we got a call from President Gibbons last night, and he wants me to play the piano for the conference on the 18th! I will also be accompanying a missionary musical number! I was so excited to be a special part of the conference, and also grateful and humble for the opportunity. I just hope that I will still be around for the forming of the stake. Could I get an extension on my mission, Mom? I don't know if you would like it.
What else? We don't really have many investigators, and it is hard to meet with them. The most progressing I think would be Nastya and her boyfriend Alexander. We have met a few times, and they came to sacrament meeting twice. Nastya was an old contact, and we met with her in a cafe, food court, and pancake restaurant. She brought her boyfriend along as well. They have a lot of questions, which is good, but I just haven't met with them a lot. We don't know if Alexander has a serious interest, but he is listening and asking questions.
We have Olecya, who is a devout Russian Orthodox member. We found her as she came to the branch building for English Club, but it wasn't going on just then, and we taught her instead. She hasn't come to church, as it conflicts with her other church schedule. We hope to meet with her and the Holmes, who really help in meetings.
We have been contacting new people, and we are hoping to get new investigators. That is the problem here, is that we don't have very many new investigators. What I hope to do is to tract the apartments which are near to us, because they are new, very nice, and they are full of families! I hope to be able to find a family as I am training, which is my goal, and our goal as a district. We have only two companionships with a senior couple, and it is our goal to 2 families to teach and baptize while we are training. I ask for your prayers as we go on this endeavor.
Yulia, the recent convert, is doing amazing. What is difficult for her is that she is the only member of the church in her family, and they are kind of против (pro-teev) which means "against" the church. She comes to Family Home evenings, and went to this youth gathering in Novosibirsk with the other youth in Barnaul, and they are really supporting her. It is hard, as many people are the only member in their families, but they support each other, and together they are strong.
Something interesting happened this week, as on Sunday it was a "working" day. Pretty much everyone had to work on this Sunday, so we held sacrament meeting at 7:00 at night. The men also got together, and we made origami flowers for all the women, as it was women's day. Unknownest to us, Brother Pertzevoi, who is the president of the priesthood quorum, sprayed all of the paper flowers with different kinds of perfume. He has his own business, selling perfume. We were all surprised because we had no idea when he did that. We read some poem verses, and gave them the flowers. They really liked it. We also sang "Ye Elders of Israel" because that is the only song we can sing that actually sounds good...but they enjoyed it nonetheless.
I love being a district leader already. I like feeling like I am leading something big, as I take charge in meetings, and that I am the link between the missionaries and the branch. I have a lot of responsibilities, and I hope to be able to fulfill them as Heavenly Father would want me to.
I love you all, and I am glad that I have been on this earth for 20 years already, and I am here at this moment. It was all thanks to you, Mom, and Dad, that I was born, and that you molded my life, so that I could be here, e-mailing you from another country, as I share the great gospel of happiness to these wonderful people. You have done amazingly, and I will be forever grateful for your choices, which have brought me here right now.
Love,
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian District Leader)
So the little blip about Russia for this week is about transportation. Today we got on the bus, and it was FILLED to the brim! We had to squish in order for all of us to fit in. It is funny, but it happens as the weather is cold now. Last week, it was really warm, and even muddy as the snow was melting. There are huge puddles, but now they are frozen solid--ice is everywhere. Everyone stuffs like sardines in transportation. Also, the tickets you get have 6 numbers on them. If you add the first three together, and the second three together, and they are the same, then the ticket is lucky! For example, 123024. 1+2+3=6, and 0+2+4=6 so it is lucky! Sometimes, people eat lucky tickets, but I just collect them.
Hey Family! It's the Birthday Boy...except he's a MAN now. Well, maybe that status won't officially happen until my next birthday when I am 21. How did I celebrate my birthday?...with a cold. It is not big at all, but I have been sniffling a little, and my voice has been a little gravely.
Right now, it is just Elder Smith and me, and we have been working like crazy! It think that is a wonderful birthday present, to help others come unto Christ. We will be picking up our new elders on Thursday, which is so soon, but so exciting! I don't know why we only stay in Russia for three months, then leave to get our Visas renewed, but I think it is because of our reason being here. As foreigners, and as religious officials, we can only have a temporary visa. I just know that in Novosibirsk they take our old passports, and send them somewhere to place new visas in them. We have two passports, one with us at all times, and the other is sent to get the new visa.
Also, we got a call from President Gibbons last night, and he wants me to play the piano for the conference on the 18th! I will also be accompanying a missionary musical number! I was so excited to be a special part of the conference, and also grateful and humble for the opportunity. I just hope that I will still be around for the forming of the stake. Could I get an extension on my mission, Mom? I don't know if you would like it.
What else? We don't really have many investigators, and it is hard to meet with them. The most progressing I think would be Nastya and her boyfriend Alexander. We have met a few times, and they came to sacrament meeting twice. Nastya was an old contact, and we met with her in a cafe, food court, and pancake restaurant. She brought her boyfriend along as well. They have a lot of questions, which is good, but I just haven't met with them a lot. We don't know if Alexander has a serious interest, but he is listening and asking questions.
We have Olecya, who is a devout Russian Orthodox member. We found her as she came to the branch building for English Club, but it wasn't going on just then, and we taught her instead. She hasn't come to church, as it conflicts with her other church schedule. We hope to meet with her and the Holmes, who really help in meetings.
We have been contacting new people, and we are hoping to get new investigators. That is the problem here, is that we don't have very many new investigators. What I hope to do is to tract the apartments which are near to us, because they are new, very nice, and they are full of families! I hope to be able to find a family as I am training, which is my goal, and our goal as a district. We have only two companionships with a senior couple, and it is our goal to 2 families to teach and baptize while we are training. I ask for your prayers as we go on this endeavor.
Yulia, the recent convert, is doing amazing. What is difficult for her is that she is the only member of the church in her family, and they are kind of против (pro-teev) which means "against" the church. She comes to Family Home evenings, and went to this youth gathering in Novosibirsk with the other youth in Barnaul, and they are really supporting her. It is hard, as many people are the only member in their families, but they support each other, and together they are strong.
Something interesting happened this week, as on Sunday it was a "working" day. Pretty much everyone had to work on this Sunday, so we held sacrament meeting at 7:00 at night. The men also got together, and we made origami flowers for all the women, as it was women's day. Unknownest to us, Brother Pertzevoi, who is the president of the priesthood quorum, sprayed all of the paper flowers with different kinds of perfume. He has his own business, selling perfume. We were all surprised because we had no idea when he did that. We read some poem verses, and gave them the flowers. They really liked it. We also sang "Ye Elders of Israel" because that is the only song we can sing that actually sounds good...but they enjoyed it nonetheless.
I love being a district leader already. I like feeling like I am leading something big, as I take charge in meetings, and that I am the link between the missionaries and the branch. I have a lot of responsibilities, and I hope to be able to fulfill them as Heavenly Father would want me to.
I love you all, and I am glad that I have been on this earth for 20 years already, and I am here at this moment. It was all thanks to you, Mom, and Dad, that I was born, and that you molded my life, so that I could be here, e-mailing you from another country, as I share the great gospel of happiness to these wonderful people. You have done amazingly, and I will be forever grateful for your choices, which have brought me here right now.
Love,
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian District Leader)
Monday, March 5, 2012
Another Finland trip...
Hey mom, I DID get my package! I didn't open it yet, because I want to wait until it is actually my birthday. Thank you so much! I will send pictures, but in another e-mail обязательно (ob-yah-za-tel-no) This means like "Committed, I will do it." Russian has wonderful words to explain a whole phrase. I also sent a package home, and I hope that it makes it there. I will get rings for all the kids really soon, and I will send them home.
Dear Family,
Finland was again cold, wet, and windy. I guess I just have had bad luck every time, but it was awesome nonetheless. We went to the Zoo, and saw some really cool things. We saw turtles fight, which is exciting, even though they are so slow! We also went to this store which has American food. I had my first root beer in over a year...and it was wonderful! We also went to this Lutheran Church, which is very beautiful. It has statues of all 12 apostles around the sides. The reason that we couldn't go to the temple was that the cleaning schedule for the temple interferes with our visa trips. The temple is closed every 6 months for cleaning, every other time we are on a visa trip. It is hard to change a schedule made for a whole country for a couple of missionaries. It is sad, but I am grateful that we can still go to the temple every six months. We actually had some pretty cool experiences while traveling. We stayed at the Hostel again, like the first time, and we talked to this guy who is from Italy, but he knows English, and we talked to him about our church. We gave him this invitation to see Mormon.org. Another time, we were on the bus, and we saw this man with his family, and they are from St. Petersburg. They were really interested, and we gave them an extra Book of Mormon we carried around. I carry a new Book of Mormon with me during visa trips, just in case, and every time I have given it to someone. There was a guy in the Moscow airport that I gave my copy to. It just shows that missionary work never stops, even when you are in Finland.
So you want to know about the culture of Russia? Well, first thing I would say is how much they love bread. Every single meal has to have bread. I have learned that bread is the staff of life, and I can't work without eating a few slices every morning. People love eating Borsch, of course with bread. They also eat Pelmini, which is these dumplings filled with meat or cabbage. There is also Vareniki, which are dumplings filled with potatoes. Some funny sayings in Russia are like тише, мыши, кот на крыше (tee-shye me-shye coat na kree-shye) Which means "Be quiet, mouse, there's a cat on the roof. There is also У матросов нет вопросов (oo mah-tro-sev nyet va-pro-sev) It means "sailors have no questions" You say that when someone asks, "Any questions?" Istead of saying, "Cheese" When taking a picture, they say раз два колбаса (raz dva kol-ba-sa) It means, "one, two, SAUSAGE!" Children go to school just like kids in America, and they learn the same things, and have homework. Everyone loves to drink tea, and just talk for a while. It is very laid back and calming. Children are taught to speak very formally to their elders. There is the form ВЫ (vee) in Russian that is a formal way of saying "you" such to a teacher. The form Ты (tee) is very loving, used between friends, relatives, and Heavenly Father. It is very important to talk properly, and people usually appreciate being informal when you are good friends.
The members in Russia are very loving and supportive with each other. They realize that they are a small group of people in a world full of different values. They find safety being close together. What is really hard for some people is the work schedules in Russia. There is no Mon.-Fri. 9-5 schedule in Russia. Many people work strange schedules, such as work all day, no work the next day, then work from evening to the morning of the next day. People really have to sacrifice to be able to come to church. We live half an hour by bus from the branch, and it would take me 5 minutes to walk to the church building back home. They know it is important, and they sacrifice. People also have troubles getting enough money. It is hard to find good work with decent pay, but people still pay tithing, because they know they will be blessed. If you have any other questions, please ask, so I can know what to specifically say.
So Yulia is doing really great! She always talks that she feels that she is not home, like she is flying. It is true, since our home in with our Heavenly Father. I remember when I was baptized, and how I felt like I was flying. Your sins no longer burden you, and you are light as a feather.
Also, the Holmes have arrived! The first Sunday that they came, it was a party for everyone! They love them so much, and I can see why. They are so strong in the gospel, and I can't believe that they are serving for their 5th time and their 3rd in Barnaul! They are over 70 years old, and still going strong! I hope to be able to do half the things they do. I thought about you, Mom and Dad, and thought where you could serve. I just thought how amazing it would be if you could serve here in the Novosibirsk Mission. The people here are amazing, and I wish I could introduce them to you. I know it would be cold, but coats are warm, and the apartments are warm as well.
I don't know anything else about my companion, except he may either be a sports nut or a very intelligent person. They had visa problems, but everything is okay now. He will be here on the 14th of March. I am just so excited to be training again, and I wonder if I will train even more...We shall see, I still have another year of my mission left.
Even though I don’t begin my responsibilities as district leader here in Barnaul quite yet, I have already been receiving revelations as to what I want to do when it's my turn to serve. I really feel that God is preparing me to do something wonderful here, and President Gibbons expressed to me my responsibility here. It will be hard, but it will be worth it. This is definitely not my work. How could a 19 soon-to-be 20 year old man organize something like this in a foreign country without any divine help? If this was a business, it would fail. No one in their right mind would send kids out to represent a business in a far part of the country. The thing is, God has in fact called us to serve, and He calls us in our weakness. As to Him, I am nothing, but with Him, I am all-powerful. "You can do anything with two people as long as the other person is God." Elder Ortner taught me that phrase.
Dear Family,
Finland was again cold, wet, and windy. I guess I just have had bad luck every time, but it was awesome nonetheless. We went to the Zoo, and saw some really cool things. We saw turtles fight, which is exciting, even though they are so slow! We also went to this store which has American food. I had my first root beer in over a year...and it was wonderful! We also went to this Lutheran Church, which is very beautiful. It has statues of all 12 apostles around the sides. The reason that we couldn't go to the temple was that the cleaning schedule for the temple interferes with our visa trips. The temple is closed every 6 months for cleaning, every other time we are on a visa trip. It is hard to change a schedule made for a whole country for a couple of missionaries. It is sad, but I am grateful that we can still go to the temple every six months. We actually had some pretty cool experiences while traveling. We stayed at the Hostel again, like the first time, and we talked to this guy who is from Italy, but he knows English, and we talked to him about our church. We gave him this invitation to see Mormon.org. Another time, we were on the bus, and we saw this man with his family, and they are from St. Petersburg. They were really interested, and we gave them an extra Book of Mormon we carried around. I carry a new Book of Mormon with me during visa trips, just in case, and every time I have given it to someone. There was a guy in the Moscow airport that I gave my copy to. It just shows that missionary work never stops, even when you are in Finland.
So you want to know about the culture of Russia? Well, first thing I would say is how much they love bread. Every single meal has to have bread. I have learned that bread is the staff of life, and I can't work without eating a few slices every morning. People love eating Borsch, of course with bread. They also eat Pelmini, which is these dumplings filled with meat or cabbage. There is also Vareniki, which are dumplings filled with potatoes. Some funny sayings in Russia are like тише, мыши, кот на крыше (tee-shye me-shye coat na kree-shye) Which means "Be quiet, mouse, there's a cat on the roof. There is also У матросов нет вопросов (oo mah-tro-sev nyet va-pro-sev) It means "sailors have no questions" You say that when someone asks, "Any questions?" Istead of saying, "Cheese" When taking a picture, they say раз два колбаса (raz dva kol-ba-sa) It means, "one, two, SAUSAGE!" Children go to school just like kids in America, and they learn the same things, and have homework. Everyone loves to drink tea, and just talk for a while. It is very laid back and calming. Children are taught to speak very formally to their elders. There is the form ВЫ (vee) in Russian that is a formal way of saying "you" such to a teacher. The form Ты (tee) is very loving, used between friends, relatives, and Heavenly Father. It is very important to talk properly, and people usually appreciate being informal when you are good friends.
The members in Russia are very loving and supportive with each other. They realize that they are a small group of people in a world full of different values. They find safety being close together. What is really hard for some people is the work schedules in Russia. There is no Mon.-Fri. 9-5 schedule in Russia. Many people work strange schedules, such as work all day, no work the next day, then work from evening to the morning of the next day. People really have to sacrifice to be able to come to church. We live half an hour by bus from the branch, and it would take me 5 minutes to walk to the church building back home. They know it is important, and they sacrifice. People also have troubles getting enough money. It is hard to find good work with decent pay, but people still pay tithing, because they know they will be blessed. If you have any other questions, please ask, so I can know what to specifically say.
So Yulia is doing really great! She always talks that she feels that she is not home, like she is flying. It is true, since our home in with our Heavenly Father. I remember when I was baptized, and how I felt like I was flying. Your sins no longer burden you, and you are light as a feather.
Also, the Holmes have arrived! The first Sunday that they came, it was a party for everyone! They love them so much, and I can see why. They are so strong in the gospel, and I can't believe that they are serving for their 5th time and their 3rd in Barnaul! They are over 70 years old, and still going strong! I hope to be able to do half the things they do. I thought about you, Mom and Dad, and thought where you could serve. I just thought how amazing it would be if you could serve here in the Novosibirsk Mission. The people here are amazing, and I wish I could introduce them to you. I know it would be cold, but coats are warm, and the apartments are warm as well.
I don't know anything else about my companion, except he may either be a sports nut or a very intelligent person. They had visa problems, but everything is okay now. He will be here on the 14th of March. I am just so excited to be training again, and I wonder if I will train even more...We shall see, I still have another year of my mission left.
Even though I don’t begin my responsibilities as district leader here in Barnaul quite yet, I have already been receiving revelations as to what I want to do when it's my turn to serve. I really feel that God is preparing me to do something wonderful here, and President Gibbons expressed to me my responsibility here. It will be hard, but it will be worth it. This is definitely not my work. How could a 19 soon-to-be 20 year old man organize something like this in a foreign country without any divine help? If this was a business, it would fail. No one in their right mind would send kids out to represent a business in a far part of the country. The thing is, God has in fact called us to serve, and He calls us in our weakness. As to Him, I am nothing, but with Him, I am all-powerful. "You can do anything with two people as long as the other person is God." Elder Ortner taught me that phrase.
Love you all,
The Siberian Messenger
Monday, February 27, 2012
Letters to all the fams.....
I wanted to reply with a little blip for all the fams:
First of all, Andy and Sarah, have you thought about a Russian name for your daughter? Maybe Olga?...No, I really like the name Tatiana, or Tanya for short. It is good that the girls want to be good sisters. Being nice is so important!
Michael and Rachelle (They will soon be a family, but better get cracking...) Michael, you stud! Rachelle, I am very glad that you will be part of our family. I wish the best for you, and a happy marriage, full of laughs, tears, and eventually dirty diapers...I hope this isn't too weird.
Emily and Ryan,
I hope the boys are doing good. I agree with Jack, that things would be a lot cooler if Nephi used a gun. Britton, still keep reading books, and I will teach you how to read Russian. It's easy!...I am just joking. I have played basketball with Russians, and it's pretty easy for me. I just have to hold the ball, and they can't reach it.
Sarah and Golden
Hope everything is fine where you are! Interesting enough, I have not seen a fire truck in Russia. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Don't worry about traffic safety. We just have to run through streets, because there are rarely street lights telling you when you can walk. It is a safety council member's nightmare!
Laura and Zack
I hope the twins are good. Everyone loves the picture you gave me of them all dirty from lunch! They all laugh. Lot of girls here in Russia love princesses, and they love playing outside. Every single apartment building has a playground (maybe not the safest) But we always see children playing on them, especially slides made out of snow and ice.
Congratulations mom on the choir! When I return, I hope to share some Russian hymns that the choir could sing. It would be awesome! Russian music is very pretty, and I hope to learn more when I am back...not for another year, though. AHHHHHHHH!!!! I have been gone for a year!...and I will be 20. I don't know about you, mom, but I feel so old now.
The Iron Rod is a safety rail between us and sin.
To everyone that is still reading about my adventures in Barnaul,
Happy Birthday, BELLE! I love you so much, and I hope you have a great birthday. You are such a big girl, and I hope you will be a big sister for your new baby sister. Little girls here in Russia LOVE princesses,especially Belle from Beauty and the Beast. S с днём Рождения! (Ss-gnome Roh-zh-den-ee-yah) That is how they say happy birthday in Russian
Well, what can I say new? That TRANSFERS came! and the verdict is....I am going to be training a new missionary, AND be district leader in Barnaul! This will be my second time training and only within a period of 1 transfer! His name is Elder Slater Duncan, which is more that I knew than when I learned I would train Elder Patton. I am really excited to be training again, and again humbled as I am just new to the area myself. I promise we will NOT get lost this next transfer.
So for Visa Trips, we all go to Novosibirsk, and the mission chauffer, President Gushin, drives us to the airport. We all get to the city by either bus or train. I will be by bus...which is not my favorite thing. My companion will be with me, and stay in Novosibirsk until I return. Then at the airport, we get on a plane to Moscow, and then transfer to another plane to Helsinki. When we are at Finland, we immediately go to the temple to get our passports with the new visas. I now have two passports, and I switch between them each visa trip. Unfortunately, the visa trip schedule conflicts with the temple schedule, so every other trip, I will not be able to go to the temple. This trip I will not be able to go, and I will only have two more opportunities... Well, what can you do? (I will be sending some things home, so wait for a package from me...but DON"T open it)
I don't know if I got a new nametag. They can only make them at the MTC, and they send them with the incoming missionaries. Maybe Elder Duncan will have mine. I haven't received my package yet, since I am a couple hours away from Novosibirsk. They just wait until a missionary visits Novosibirsk to give him all the mail. It just works out that way.
Then this week was this thing known as Salon. This activity is put on by the branch music director, who is classically trained. They had members perform songs, and they all dressed up. It was very fun. I played a song as accompaniment, and it really scared me. But it was all well, and I really enjoyed hearing this Russian Opera.
So here is an interesting holiday in Russia. The 23rd of February is "Men's Day" and it is to celebrate the manliness of men, and all they do. It is the Father's Day of Russia, and the Relief Society came during Priesthood meeting and gave all the priesthood men a picture of them, with a thank you for being a man. We were laughing, but it really was sweet. So all of you men out there, Happy Men's Day! Pretty much the holiday is an excuse for men to relax. Don't worry, there is a "Women's Day", and they get to relax then.
There was a baptism yesterday! So Yulia was baptized on Sunday, and alot of people came. It was wonderful to see this baptism. This baptism felt like seeing the baptism of a little child. Aren't we all children to a Heavenly Father? We sang the Primary Hymn I want to be Baptized, and it was very sweet.
So what I learned from Lehi's dream starts with the man in the white robe. He guides Lehi to find the tree. The man could be the Lord, the Holy Ghost, maybe an angel, but maybe even a missionary. But more importantly, when we are baptized, and especially when we are in the temple, we wear white. Those who have already partaken of the fruit are the people in white robes, and they guide others to the tree. The rod is the word of God, but what is the Word of God? It is the scriptures, yes, but what about the words at sacrament meeting? Firesides? What about the words from church leaders (Mission presidents included) or even the prophet at General Conference? These words aren't necessarily in the Bible or Book of Mormon, but they are His words. Also, the iron rod doesn't just guide us to the tree, but it is a guard rail from the filthy river, the great divide, and the great and spacious building. It is a safety rail between us and sin. We would have to jump over the rod, or jump over the word of God, in order to sin. (I think like a stumbling block) When we partake of the fruit, which is the Love of God, and I agree, it is even Christ, we take a part of Him inside of us. The Sacrament. We take emblems of His flesh and blood inside of us, and He becomes part of us. Our goal is to become like Him, and He needs to be a part of our lives. The ones who stayed fell at the tree. This could be worshipping, falling to the feet of Christ, and I even think kneeling, as kneeling at an altar in the temple. If we want to stay at the tree, these ordinances are necessary. With missionary work, we are here to call out to people, like Lehi to his family, and lead them to the tree. This journey is an individual journey, and everyone has to make the decision for themselves, but that doesn't mean we can't call out to others. Lehi called to those he loved, his family, and I have the special calling to call out to those I love, my family here in Russia. We all have a responsibility to call out to our families, to those we love, and help them partake of the fruit, through baptism and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and then stay to partake.
Pretty much, this next transfer is humbling to me, as Heavenly Father is trusting me to take care of one of His missionaries again. I am so excited for this opportunity to train again, as I feel it is the most fulfilling calling as a missionary.
I love you all, and I hope you are all well. This gospel is so true.
--
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)
Старейшина Хогган (Сибирский Посланник)
Happy Birthday, BELLE! I love you so much, and I hope you have a great birthday. You are such a big girl, and I hope you will be a big sister for your new baby sister. Little girls here in Russia LOVE princesses,especially Belle from Beauty and the Beast. S с днём Рождения! (Ss-gnome Roh-zh-den-ee-yah) That is how they say happy birthday in Russian
Well, what can I say new? That TRANSFERS came! and the verdict is....I am going to be training a new missionary, AND be district leader in Barnaul! This will be my second time training and only within a period of 1 transfer! His name is Elder Slater Duncan, which is more that I knew than when I learned I would train Elder Patton. I am really excited to be training again, and again humbled as I am just new to the area myself. I promise we will NOT get lost this next transfer.
So for Visa Trips, we all go to Novosibirsk, and the mission chauffer, President Gushin, drives us to the airport. We all get to the city by either bus or train. I will be by bus...which is not my favorite thing. My companion will be with me, and stay in Novosibirsk until I return. Then at the airport, we get on a plane to Moscow, and then transfer to another plane to Helsinki. When we are at Finland, we immediately go to the temple to get our passports with the new visas. I now have two passports, and I switch between them each visa trip. Unfortunately, the visa trip schedule conflicts with the temple schedule, so every other trip, I will not be able to go to the temple. This trip I will not be able to go, and I will only have two more opportunities... Well, what can you do? (I will be sending some things home, so wait for a package from me...but DON"T open it)
I don't know if I got a new nametag. They can only make them at the MTC, and they send them with the incoming missionaries. Maybe Elder Duncan will have mine. I haven't received my package yet, since I am a couple hours away from Novosibirsk. They just wait until a missionary visits Novosibirsk to give him all the mail. It just works out that way.
Then this week was this thing known as Salon. This activity is put on by the branch music director, who is classically trained. They had members perform songs, and they all dressed up. It was very fun. I played a song as accompaniment, and it really scared me. But it was all well, and I really enjoyed hearing this Russian Opera.
So here is an interesting holiday in Russia. The 23rd of February is "Men's Day" and it is to celebrate the manliness of men, and all they do. It is the Father's Day of Russia, and the Relief Society came during Priesthood meeting and gave all the priesthood men a picture of them, with a thank you for being a man. We were laughing, but it really was sweet. So all of you men out there, Happy Men's Day! Pretty much the holiday is an excuse for men to relax. Don't worry, there is a "Women's Day", and they get to relax then.
There was a baptism yesterday! So Yulia was baptized on Sunday, and alot of people came. It was wonderful to see this baptism. This baptism felt like seeing the baptism of a little child. Aren't we all children to a Heavenly Father? We sang the Primary Hymn I want to be Baptized, and it was very sweet.
So what I learned from Lehi's dream starts with the man in the white robe. He guides Lehi to find the tree. The man could be the Lord, the Holy Ghost, maybe an angel, but maybe even a missionary. But more importantly, when we are baptized, and especially when we are in the temple, we wear white. Those who have already partaken of the fruit are the people in white robes, and they guide others to the tree. The rod is the word of God, but what is the Word of God? It is the scriptures, yes, but what about the words at sacrament meeting? Firesides? What about the words from church leaders (Mission presidents included) or even the prophet at General Conference? These words aren't necessarily in the Bible or Book of Mormon, but they are His words. Also, the iron rod doesn't just guide us to the tree, but it is a guard rail from the filthy river, the great divide, and the great and spacious building. It is a safety rail between us and sin. We would have to jump over the rod, or jump over the word of God, in order to sin. (I think like a stumbling block) When we partake of the fruit, which is the Love of God, and I agree, it is even Christ, we take a part of Him inside of us. The Sacrament. We take emblems of His flesh and blood inside of us, and He becomes part of us. Our goal is to become like Him, and He needs to be a part of our lives. The ones who stayed fell at the tree. This could be worshipping, falling to the feet of Christ, and I even think kneeling, as kneeling at an altar in the temple. If we want to stay at the tree, these ordinances are necessary. With missionary work, we are here to call out to people, like Lehi to his family, and lead them to the tree. This journey is an individual journey, and everyone has to make the decision for themselves, but that doesn't mean we can't call out to others. Lehi called to those he loved, his family, and I have the special calling to call out to those I love, my family here in Russia. We all have a responsibility to call out to our families, to those we love, and help them partake of the fruit, through baptism and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and then stay to partake.
Pretty much, this next transfer is humbling to me, as Heavenly Father is trusting me to take care of one of His missionaries again. I am so excited for this opportunity to train again, as I feel it is the most fulfilling calling as a missionary.
I love you all, and I hope you are all well. This gospel is so true.
--
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)
Старейшина Хогган (Сибирский Посланник)
Monday, February 20, 2012
Tree of Life
Hello Family!
What happened? I was writing a letter to you, but then I switched to another letter, and all what I wrote is lost! I am so sorry, and promise to send a larger letter next time! Usually it automatically saves it as a draft, but it decided not to do that this time...sorry. It hasn't snowed a lot here, but it is crazy to see the roads, as they chip away the packed snow. You can see the layers of snow and dirt, and it looks like a cake. It can sometimes be six inches thick of packed snow. The weather is turning toward the warmer, and I shudder to think what it will be like when the snow melts...I will need need boots, pants, everything!
There has been a change in our mission. Kashakstan, or how you spell it, will be a part of the mission in the summer. The changes are due to the stake in Moscow, and the growth of the church in this area. It
will not affect the District here in Siberia, but you never know if I will be serving in Kashakstan...Don't worry mother. Oh, I will be leaving for Finland again in March 1, so I will have more Finlandish-stories to tell you.
Well, Zone Conference was amazing! The theme was the Tree of Life and its symbolism to missionary work. I wish to go in greater detail, next time, but my assignment to all of you is to read 1 Nephi 8 and tell me
something new you learned about the vision. I will tell you what I learned, and all will be edified. President Gibbons has been traveling to the branches, interviewing all of the bretheren, preparing for the District which will be organized on March 18! All of the members in the mission and missionaries are gathering in Novosibirsk for the event, and they rented out a huge room! I am so excited to hear! President Gibbons was in Barnaul, and he talked to the branch and interviewed people, perhaps to find leadership for the district. On that note, Yulia is ready to be baptized! She has had an interview and all is okay, so we will have a new member in Barnaul in the next few weeks!
President Gibbons told me as well that he visited Novokuznetsk, and that he is going to ordain a native branch president there, which is so exciting! The branch president currently there is Elder Holbrook, who was a senior couple who served here in Barnaul. He is going to be the last non-native branch president in the mission. Also, Nikolai was recently ordained to the Melchezidek priesthood by president Gibbons, which made me very happy to hear.
Something that I learned this week is that God always is looking out for us. He knows exactly where we are and what we are doing at any moment. He never glances away from us, and He is always active in our
lives. I have prayed many times for blessings, and for comfort in times of trial, and I have always felt that He is near, and that everything will be okay. Everything will be okay.
We recently met with this family, and they provided us with chicken, potatoes, and lots of food! They have two daughters about 9 and 8 years old, and when we asked to have a blessing on the meal, the oldest daughter asked if she could pray. The mother is not very religious, and she never taught her children about God or how to pray. They have come to a few activities, and they see us pray, and this just shows what an example we are. This little girl who never learned to pray, prayed for us. We talked to them about our purpose as missionaries, and how we knew that God exists and that he loves us. I told how I had to learn for myself if it was true or not, even though my family dates back to the earliest days of the church. We all need a personal witness, because the journey to the Tree of Life is an individual journey. All I can do as a missionary is call out to others to partake of the fruit, and tell them to hold onto the rod. I cannot drag them to the tree, but I can call out with love. That is why the Tree of Life is such a monumental vision, because it
is applies to everyone, in every situation. It can be viewed differently, and still be correct. The fruit is the same, the most desirable fruit of all--eternal life.
I love you all, and I wish the best for you all.
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)
What happened? I was writing a letter to you, but then I switched to another letter, and all what I wrote is lost! I am so sorry, and promise to send a larger letter next time! Usually it automatically saves it as a draft, but it decided not to do that this time...sorry. It hasn't snowed a lot here, but it is crazy to see the roads, as they chip away the packed snow. You can see the layers of snow and dirt, and it looks like a cake. It can sometimes be six inches thick of packed snow. The weather is turning toward the warmer, and I shudder to think what it will be like when the snow melts...I will need need boots, pants, everything!
There has been a change in our mission. Kashakstan, or how you spell it, will be a part of the mission in the summer. The changes are due to the stake in Moscow, and the growth of the church in this area. It
will not affect the District here in Siberia, but you never know if I will be serving in Kashakstan...Don't worry mother. Oh, I will be leaving for Finland again in March 1, so I will have more Finlandish-stories to tell you.
Well, Zone Conference was amazing! The theme was the Tree of Life and its symbolism to missionary work. I wish to go in greater detail, next time, but my assignment to all of you is to read 1 Nephi 8 and tell me
something new you learned about the vision. I will tell you what I learned, and all will be edified. President Gibbons has been traveling to the branches, interviewing all of the bretheren, preparing for the District which will be organized on March 18! All of the members in the mission and missionaries are gathering in Novosibirsk for the event, and they rented out a huge room! I am so excited to hear! President Gibbons was in Barnaul, and he talked to the branch and interviewed people, perhaps to find leadership for the district. On that note, Yulia is ready to be baptized! She has had an interview and all is okay, so we will have a new member in Barnaul in the next few weeks!
 |
| Novosibirsk Zone Conf. |
Something that I learned this week is that God always is looking out for us. He knows exactly where we are and what we are doing at any moment. He never glances away from us, and He is always active in our
lives. I have prayed many times for blessings, and for comfort in times of trial, and I have always felt that He is near, and that everything will be okay. Everything will be okay.
We recently met with this family, and they provided us with chicken, potatoes, and lots of food! They have two daughters about 9 and 8 years old, and when we asked to have a blessing on the meal, the oldest daughter asked if she could pray. The mother is not very religious, and she never taught her children about God or how to pray. They have come to a few activities, and they see us pray, and this just shows what an example we are. This little girl who never learned to pray, prayed for us. We talked to them about our purpose as missionaries, and how we knew that God exists and that he loves us. I told how I had to learn for myself if it was true or not, even though my family dates back to the earliest days of the church. We all need a personal witness, because the journey to the Tree of Life is an individual journey. All I can do as a missionary is call out to others to partake of the fruit, and tell them to hold onto the rod. I cannot drag them to the tree, but I can call out with love. That is why the Tree of Life is such a monumental vision, because it
is applies to everyone, in every situation. It can be viewed differently, and still be correct. The fruit is the same, the most desirable fruit of all--eternal life.
I love you all, and I wish the best for you all.
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)
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