Family and Friends,
Wow I have so much to talk about this week. Alot happened over the past 7 days. Thats crazy that Elder Craft is back home. I know that the Lord is taking care of him and that all of this happens for a reason. Updates would be lovely. I'm so proud of Elder Chaffin!! Ogden Utah. Wonder how he reacted to that haha.
So, this past week I got sick. Thursday in particular. Woke up at 5 in the mornin with a pretty decent stomach ache so I stumbled over to the bathroom (with no lights on. not an easy task) and threw up eeeeeverything in my system. Needless to say (but I'll say it anyways) I didnt feel to great that day. I figured it musta been food poisoning. Luckily the Lord helped me quickly recover and by Friday I was gettin back into the swing of things. Still not feelin amazing, but the Lord is letting me work. So I'm satisfied :) transfers are on tomorrow!!! I will be staying in Bushwick for at least another transfer. Elder Lewis is getting transfered out. So tomorrow I will have a new companion. So weird to think about. I love Elder Lewis so much and we will always be friends. District conference was yesterday. And ooooooh was it a conference to remember. Bushwick is part of a 5 branch District. Well, was. At conference, they merged the two other spanish branches into bushwick and now our bigger branch is part of the Brooklyn Stake. Such a blessing for these people. I'm really excited to see the blessings that the members will recieve from being in a stake. That was really cool. So now instead of four missionaries in our branch, it will be eight of us!
The brick building that dad found of the marcy stop certainly is the bushwick building! Except, the building is actually like four or five stories tall and our church only takes up half the first floor. We are renting out that section from the Jews haha. And I will get the package before easter cuz we have transfer meetings tomorrow where I can pick up the package. Thank you so much mom! I'm so glad willie got his patriarchal blessing! That will be such a strength to him as he stays righteous to the Lord. On my mission I am seeing many promises from mine play out. It is such a wonderful experience. And willie, I havent gotten your next dear elder yet. But I wait hopefully!
I sent off my sd card, but then a day later I realized I forgot to take pictures of the belt and hamper and put them in the card!! oh man I felt like such a dummy. So I'll just buy them here sometime. Oh and when you return the SD card, please do not delete the pictures off of it. I realized I can put them onto my thumbdrive.
Tonight, we are going to have a family night with a recent convert and his non-member wife, Teresa. I think I've mentioned her before, but I am really excited for this opportunity. We will be teaching the plan of salvation. I know that the Spirit can manifest the truth of what we say to her. I want their family to be together in the church soooo bad. I know how happy they would be. So I really hope this lesson goes well tonight.
My nieces and nephew crack me up! I love those kids sooooo much! I super jealous that jack gets to wear an astronaut helmet!! I'm going to start calling him my little spaceman haha. Sounds like mari is doing wonderful in school!! Alice has always been such a good helper. Its going to be weird coming back to an alice that isnt a toddler anymore. Smiles always brings a smile to my face :) rolling already?? My family is getting so big!!
I love you all so much! Thank you for all your support and love. Gma buck and dad I got your emails. Sorry I didnt have any time to respond but thank you so much. Grandma I didnt realize you had relatives who were already members! that is so cool!
Well, the computer is telling me to log off now. Talk to ya next week!!
Love, Elder Hogge
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
hallo there
Family and friends,
Last week was quite a whirlwind. Lots of stuff happened, good and not so good. But thats the life of the missionary.
Unfortunately, Zaida didn't get baptized on sunday. Its such a long story. But basically theres just more stuff we will hafta work on together. She has a testimony but there are some things impeding her progress. Its sad to see, but through the Atonement we can overcome any of our troubles. I have faith in that. But its been tough here. The more I learn as a missionary, the more I realize I need to change in order to bring blessings to others. Its so hard. At times I feel like i am inadequate to be a servant of the Lord. Wearing the nametag is such a big responsibility and I am just starting to realize what I have to do and who I have to become in order to be a true disciple of Christ. Its going to be quite the process learning how to truly consecrate my heart to the Lord.
Mom thanks for what you shared in your email. Sounds like it was a great week. We have district conference on sunday so I hope to hear some awesome talks. I liked that quote about the apple seeds. That will definitely stick with me in my mind. I love how my nieces and nephew are growing. They are so adorable! And I know that they will be truly happy growing up in the Gospel.
Last week you got the email on tuesday cuz we did some stuff that I wasnt planning on so we didnt have time. Letters that are sent to the mission office are forwarded by one of the people there to our pads. So it doesnt take much time to get here. And Its going to take a long time for me to reply snail mail. There is not very much time to write on the mission. So I truly will try my best but it might take some time. I'll try sending my SD card soon so that you can have it by the 16th. I dont really need anything in my package. I'm grateful for whatever :) Oh and I got my st. patricks day package last week! I LOVE my ninja turtle pajama bottoms!! I wear them every night now :)
So.... I figured that colton got his mission call but i dont know where he is going!!!!! He's leaving on wednesday!?!? Thats ridiculous! I'm so proud of him. Its so cool to see all my friends going out on missions. They are such an awesome example to me. So an update on investigators. We met this really cool kid named Rudo last week. He was pretty interested so we went over to his house last sunday and had a short lesson with him. (he had to leave soon after we started) But he really liked it and wanted to learn more. So saturday we were able to chat with him and set up a time to meet before church at 10 am at the chapel. So we were there waiting for him when we got a text message from him saying that his dad didn't want him to talk to us. He said he wanted to, but he was going to listen to his dad. The weird thing is we had even talked to his dad last week and he said he wanted us to help out Rudo. So now its sounding like we aren't going to be able to meet with him anymore. It sooooooo frustrating. I dont like it when people hinder other peoples spiritual progression. That happens a lot here in New York. Makes me so sad :( But there is this other guy named Antonio that we hope to teach a couple times this week. Had a great lesson with him at the church last tuesday. He had a lot of questions that the Gospel answers. He is forty and working at a bakery supporting his family who still lives in Puebla, Mexico. I see a lot of potential with him. Here in New York its sooooo difficult to get return appointments with people cuz everyone is sooo busy. Thats usually what hurts the work most here. But I will keep praying and keep being diligent in finding and teaching.
This work is not easy. But its very rewarding to those who will listen. I love this Gospel so much. My life has drastically changed over the past four months and I know that the Lord will continue blessing those I serve. Thank you so much for all your support.
Love, Elder Hogge
P.s. you would make that joke dad ;)
Last week was quite a whirlwind. Lots of stuff happened, good and not so good. But thats the life of the missionary.
Unfortunately, Zaida didn't get baptized on sunday. Its such a long story. But basically theres just more stuff we will hafta work on together. She has a testimony but there are some things impeding her progress. Its sad to see, but through the Atonement we can overcome any of our troubles. I have faith in that. But its been tough here. The more I learn as a missionary, the more I realize I need to change in order to bring blessings to others. Its so hard. At times I feel like i am inadequate to be a servant of the Lord. Wearing the nametag is such a big responsibility and I am just starting to realize what I have to do and who I have to become in order to be a true disciple of Christ. Its going to be quite the process learning how to truly consecrate my heart to the Lord.
Mom thanks for what you shared in your email. Sounds like it was a great week. We have district conference on sunday so I hope to hear some awesome talks. I liked that quote about the apple seeds. That will definitely stick with me in my mind. I love how my nieces and nephew are growing. They are so adorable! And I know that they will be truly happy growing up in the Gospel.
Last week you got the email on tuesday cuz we did some stuff that I wasnt planning on so we didnt have time. Letters that are sent to the mission office are forwarded by one of the people there to our pads. So it doesnt take much time to get here. And Its going to take a long time for me to reply snail mail. There is not very much time to write on the mission. So I truly will try my best but it might take some time. I'll try sending my SD card soon so that you can have it by the 16th. I dont really need anything in my package. I'm grateful for whatever :) Oh and I got my st. patricks day package last week! I LOVE my ninja turtle pajama bottoms!! I wear them every night now :)
So.... I figured that colton got his mission call but i dont know where he is going!!!!! He's leaving on wednesday!?!? Thats ridiculous! I'm so proud of him. Its so cool to see all my friends going out on missions. They are such an awesome example to me. So an update on investigators. We met this really cool kid named Rudo last week. He was pretty interested so we went over to his house last sunday and had a short lesson with him. (he had to leave soon after we started) But he really liked it and wanted to learn more. So saturday we were able to chat with him and set up a time to meet before church at 10 am at the chapel. So we were there waiting for him when we got a text message from him saying that his dad didn't want him to talk to us. He said he wanted to, but he was going to listen to his dad. The weird thing is we had even talked to his dad last week and he said he wanted us to help out Rudo. So now its sounding like we aren't going to be able to meet with him anymore. It sooooooo frustrating. I dont like it when people hinder other peoples spiritual progression. That happens a lot here in New York. Makes me so sad :( But there is this other guy named Antonio that we hope to teach a couple times this week. Had a great lesson with him at the church last tuesday. He had a lot of questions that the Gospel answers. He is forty and working at a bakery supporting his family who still lives in Puebla, Mexico. I see a lot of potential with him. Here in New York its sooooo difficult to get return appointments with people cuz everyone is sooo busy. Thats usually what hurts the work most here. But I will keep praying and keep being diligent in finding and teaching.
This work is not easy. But its very rewarding to those who will listen. I love this Gospel so much. My life has drastically changed over the past four months and I know that the Lord will continue blessing those I serve. Thank you so much for all your support.
Love, Elder Hogge
P.s. you would make that joke dad ;)
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Day Late
Hello Family and Friends!
How ya'll doin? Life is great here in Bushwick. Time to answer all the Q's from mom haha.
The reason I'm short on time is because how the libraries work here, once you sign in to a computer, you only get thirty minutes till it logs you out. And usually there is a line for computers so I try to get it all done within the thirty minutes. Sometimes there aren't many people at the library so I'll go another half hour but usually isn't the case.
As for Angel, I really dont know whats been going on with him. We haven't seen him in so long. I'm not sure if he's avoiding us or what, but he has basically dropped off the face of the earth. I'm very concerned for him.
We met with Maria Peralta (lady I met on the train) and her family on sunday. She made us Mongu. A super delicious Dominican dish. Its basically mashed potatoes but with plantains instead. We are going to visit them tomorrow. She has a son that passed away five years ago when he was seventeen. We really hope to apply the Plan of Salvation in their lives.
That talk 'To turn the hearts" by Elder Bednar sounds familiar, but I dont remember If I've seen it or not.
I was going to try to get a replacement laundry hamper and belt because they've both bit the dust. But from what you say, I think I'll just buy replacements here.
I certainly do have pictures to send, but I'd only be able to send them by sending the SD card. I'll try to get that done soon.
Mom, thanks for sending the package. I still havent headed over to the mission office. I might not get it until transfer meetings (26th or 27th of march). But i'm very much excited :)
Yesterday for pday we went to the first counselor's apartment and had lunch with them. That was really good. And we went over to the other elders' pad and played uno, monopoly, and sorry. OH! and i learned how to make really simple, really yummy donuts. What you need is pillsbury biscuit dough, oil, and powdered sugar. All ya gotta do is separate the biscuits, put a hole in each one, fry them, and then put em in a paper bag with powdered sugar and shake it up. Super simple but soooooo good.
This past week was pretty normal here. Nothin too crazy or exciting happened. Later tonight we are heading over to the church so that Zaida can get her baptismal interview. I'm so excited for her!!! Its been truly amazing seeing her progression over the past two and a half months. Its such a cool feeling being a part of someone else's conversion. I am really excited to be able to feel this type of joy throughout my mission. Please pray for her. Nothing is for certain and the adversary knows how important these things are to God's children so he will do everything in his power to stop them.
Well, its about time to wrap it up. But all is well here. Thank you so much for all your support. The mission is in no way, shape, or form easy, but its soooo rewarding. i love you all so very much!!
Love, Elder Hogge
How ya'll doin? Life is great here in Bushwick. Time to answer all the Q's from mom haha.
The reason I'm short on time is because how the libraries work here, once you sign in to a computer, you only get thirty minutes till it logs you out. And usually there is a line for computers so I try to get it all done within the thirty minutes. Sometimes there aren't many people at the library so I'll go another half hour but usually isn't the case.
As for Angel, I really dont know whats been going on with him. We haven't seen him in so long. I'm not sure if he's avoiding us or what, but he has basically dropped off the face of the earth. I'm very concerned for him.
We met with Maria Peralta (lady I met on the train) and her family on sunday. She made us Mongu. A super delicious Dominican dish. Its basically mashed potatoes but with plantains instead. We are going to visit them tomorrow. She has a son that passed away five years ago when he was seventeen. We really hope to apply the Plan of Salvation in their lives.
That talk 'To turn the hearts" by Elder Bednar sounds familiar, but I dont remember If I've seen it or not.
I was going to try to get a replacement laundry hamper and belt because they've both bit the dust. But from what you say, I think I'll just buy replacements here.
I certainly do have pictures to send, but I'd only be able to send them by sending the SD card. I'll try to get that done soon.
Mom, thanks for sending the package. I still havent headed over to the mission office. I might not get it until transfer meetings (26th or 27th of march). But i'm very much excited :)
Yesterday for pday we went to the first counselor's apartment and had lunch with them. That was really good. And we went over to the other elders' pad and played uno, monopoly, and sorry. OH! and i learned how to make really simple, really yummy donuts. What you need is pillsbury biscuit dough, oil, and powdered sugar. All ya gotta do is separate the biscuits, put a hole in each one, fry them, and then put em in a paper bag with powdered sugar and shake it up. Super simple but soooooo good.
This past week was pretty normal here. Nothin too crazy or exciting happened. Later tonight we are heading over to the church so that Zaida can get her baptismal interview. I'm so excited for her!!! Its been truly amazing seeing her progression over the past two and a half months. Its such a cool feeling being a part of someone else's conversion. I am really excited to be able to feel this type of joy throughout my mission. Please pray for her. Nothing is for certain and the adversary knows how important these things are to God's children so he will do everything in his power to stop them.
Well, its about time to wrap it up. But all is well here. Thank you so much for all your support. The mission is in no way, shape, or form easy, but its soooo rewarding. i love you all so very much!!
Love, Elder Hogge
Monday, March 5, 2012
Safe and Sound
Dearest familiares and amigos,
Yes, it may be a dangerous place, but I love it here in New York!!! Last p-day was so much fun. We had a huge 9 on 9 football game with the zone and some random kids at the park. It was soooooo much fun(especially since I hadnt played since october.) This week went by very well. Even though we didn't teach very many lessons there were some cool experiences.
I'm STOKED to hear that willie is a priest now. What an awesome responsibility. I hope he understands the significance of it. (and he better get a letter out to me soon as well ;p ) Correct me if Im wrong dad, but in the old testament, there was a time when only the Levites could hold this sacred power from God. What a blessing to be able to hold this power from God here in the Latter Days. The more I work in the service of Heavenly Father, the more I realize how much he has trusted me with this priviledge to proclaim the Gospel.
The weather here has been pretty nice. Usually a low of 30 and a high in the 40's. Not exactly the harsh winter I was expecting. But hey, I cant complain. I'm keepin nice and warm so all is well.
This week, we found 5 new investigators. What a blessing from Heavenly Father! One of them is Teresa. She is the wife of a super strong member in the church who was baptized almost a year ago. His name is Elio and he is a stud haha. His wife has just started coming to church and we taught her a bit about the book of mormon over dinner this past wednesday. So with Elio's help, I think we can really help her progress toward Christ. And speaking of progression, Zaida has a baptismal date!!! She is preparing to get baptized on the 18th of March so pleeeeease keep her in your prayers. She has had some difficulties really knowing that the church is the only true church so we assigned her Alma 32. The first thing she said the last time we met with her was "well, I guess I dont hafta know everything. Really is all about faith". And we quickly transitioned that key idea to baptism haha. So I am really excited about that.
Sorry, but time is almost expired. I love you all sooooooooo much and get so happy every time I hear from ya'll :) Remember, the more you dedicate yourself to the Lord, the more he will dedicate His blessings to you.
Love, Elder Hogge
Yes, it may be a dangerous place, but I love it here in New York!!! Last p-day was so much fun. We had a huge 9 on 9 football game with the zone and some random kids at the park. It was soooooo much fun(especially since I hadnt played since october.) This week went by very well. Even though we didn't teach very many lessons there were some cool experiences.
I'm STOKED to hear that willie is a priest now. What an awesome responsibility. I hope he understands the significance of it. (and he better get a letter out to me soon as well ;p ) Correct me if Im wrong dad, but in the old testament, there was a time when only the Levites could hold this sacred power from God. What a blessing to be able to hold this power from God here in the Latter Days. The more I work in the service of Heavenly Father, the more I realize how much he has trusted me with this priviledge to proclaim the Gospel.
The weather here has been pretty nice. Usually a low of 30 and a high in the 40's. Not exactly the harsh winter I was expecting. But hey, I cant complain. I'm keepin nice and warm so all is well.
This week, we found 5 new investigators. What a blessing from Heavenly Father! One of them is Teresa. She is the wife of a super strong member in the church who was baptized almost a year ago. His name is Elio and he is a stud haha. His wife has just started coming to church and we taught her a bit about the book of mormon over dinner this past wednesday. So with Elio's help, I think we can really help her progress toward Christ. And speaking of progression, Zaida has a baptismal date!!! She is preparing to get baptized on the 18th of March so pleeeeease keep her in your prayers. She has had some difficulties really knowing that the church is the only true church so we assigned her Alma 32. The first thing she said the last time we met with her was "well, I guess I dont hafta know everything. Really is all about faith". And we quickly transitioned that key idea to baptism haha. So I am really excited about that.
Sorry, but time is almost expired. I love you all sooooooooo much and get so happy every time I hear from ya'll :) Remember, the more you dedicate yourself to the Lord, the more he will dedicate His blessings to you.
Love, Elder Hogge
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