Family and Friends

Family and Friends,

First off, I just want to let you know how stoked I am because of the broadcast last night!!! It was music to my ears as the apostles taught us of our responsibilites as members and missionaries. That was one of the highlights of my week.

Sounds like everything is going just fine back home. I would gladly trade your 100 degree weather for my 90 degree weather. It is just unbelievable how muggy it feels out here. I am dreading the day when it hits 100 degrees and 100% humidity here. But alas, I will continue to put my shoulder to the wheel and my feet to the pavement.

Seems like after all the hooplah before and during the wedding, things have quieted down a ton. Its lookin to be a peaceful summer back home.

Today Elder Heaps and I are being taken to lunch by Elder and Sister Bottomfield. Elder Heaps wisely joked about how young Sister Bottomfield looked and Elder Bottomfield shouted in exclamation "Well that deserves some five guys!!" (five guys is a burger place out here. I hadn't ever seen it back home) So we are reaping the rewards of Elder Heaps tactful comment this afternoon. After lunch, we will head back to the pad so that Elder Heaps can finish packing. It'll be a pretty chill day.

Pedro came to church yesterday. He is really enduring right now. Because of his family situation, he has to find a new apartment so he has had to dedicate a lot of time to that. Our hopes are that as he finds a new apartment and settles down, we will be able to more actively involve him in the gospel. Our ward has been fantastic with staying up to date with him. We have a couple solid members that have been contacting him every couple days. He is very much a part of the ward now even though he isnt a member yet.

Last wednesday we had the opportunity of meeting with a family that hasn't been active in a long time. Its a mom and dad with two daughters, 10 and 13. Their name is the Parra Family. Missionaries have knocked on their door hundreds of times but they have just never answered in the past. We were able to meet them on the street a couple weeks ago and once again we have gotten into their home. The father really has a desire to come back to church. He set his own personal goal to return to the temple by next May to be able to do sessions once again. The mothers isn't as motivated or excited as him but I have faith that we can really see a change of heart in the entire family. We now have a set appointment to meet with them every thursday so hopefully we can involve the ward and help reactivate them together.

Tomorrow is transfer meetings. I'm going on my fourteenth transfer. I will most likely be the oldest missionary in my zone. It all just feels too weird. If anything, it gives me even more desire to persevere and push to the end. I will most likely be training a new zone leader. I'm sure it will be a blast. At the transfer meeting I'm going to be playing on guitar and singing a musical number with a sister in my district. We are doing "Oh My Father" in spanish to the tune of "Come thou Fount." I am really excited.

Well family and friends, I love you all. Families really will be together forever through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thats basically the best news EVER!! If we aren't sharing that with others we are pretty selfish. Thats why I love this work. It makes me happy! Hope to hear from you soon!!

Love, Elder Hogge