Annuary

Dear family and friends,

 

This has been a wonder past week. Saturday and Sunday were especially important to me.

 

Its been great workin with Elder Heaps as the leaders over this area. We have great missionaries. Our calling is just another great way to be able to serve other missionaries and the Lord. When I first started in the mission I really looked up to the ZLs as the seasoned and successful missionaries. I hope that my example can be a blessing to the younger (and older) missionaries. Its really no different than being a regular missionary besides being able to train the missionaries in our zone and being able to work closer with President. (I have to admit being able to be around President is just wonderful, though it is kind of intimidating getting texts/calls from him every once in a while haha.) He is such an inspired man. I am thoroughly convinced that he would be more than capable of being a General Authority if the Lord saw fit. Seeing President's example has really helped me understand better my role as a leader.

 

Saturday morning, we had the baptismal service for Annaury. It was wonderful! Definitely the least stressful baptismal service of which I have been a part. Elder Heaps and I sang "In Humility, Our Savior". Elder Heaps has an absoluletly fantastic voice. I added my humble bass to the very reverent and beautiful song. Elder Heaps performed the ordinance and Annaury was all smiles. Annaury's non member mother was able to come to support him. I could tell that she felt the spirit. Hopefully in the future the missionaries in her area will be able to get in and help the family be united for forever. Sunday morning in the singles branch his confirmation took place. Elder Heaps and I stood in the circle as Camilo (the branch mission leader) confirmed him as a member of the church and gave him the Holy Ghost. It was such a great experience. Annaury is already being prepared to recieve the Aaronic priesthood in two weeks. The handoff from us to the branch has been fantastic. Since we are devoted solely to the Woodside spanish ward now, the YSA sister missionaries will be meeting with him from now on. He is going to be a great member.

 

As for the work in Woodside, slowly but surely we are gettin the ball rolling. Like always, we have been putting a strong emphasis in finding the families. We were able to meet with a family this week. Their names are Jorge and Marcia. They are really great people. Jorge is really attatched to his evangelical church at this point but we know that the power of the Holy Ghost can touch their hearts. We plan to have an appointment with them on Wednesday. Tonight we have an appointment with a less active member and his friend. We are really excited for that. Hopefully all will go well.

 

Well, the work goes on. I'm feeling older and older in the mission, but I'm working as hard as ever. My personal goals are being realized as I'm out here and the search to bring families together forever is thrilling. Till next week...

 

love, Elder Hogge

Woodside

::IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:: The church has offically allowed email correspondence between missionaries and any friends or family. QED All emails sent from any of you would be appreciated to the utmost esteem. spencer.hogge@myldsmail.net. Now back to our regularly scheduled email. ;)

Family and friends,

For the first time in a year, I have been transfered away from Brooklyn! I was beginning to think to I would be there until I was sent home haha. The Lord has called me to serve in Woodside, Queens. (or as I like to call it, the Goodside) It is a nice and big ward, with people from all over the world. (Many a Chilean and Argentinean, of which I haven't had too many experiences) Every time I meet someone from Buenos Aires or Santiago, I am sure to throw a shout out to my siblings-in-law. I feel that member work will play a very important role over these next few transfers and I will be sure to inquire of the Lord as to what His desire is for this area. My companion is fantastic. His name is Elder Danny Heaps. He is from Cedar City (yep, he did just about jump through the roof with that temple announcement) and has a very supportive family. Both of his parents support him dearly, though his father passed away on January 24th of this year. It was very unexpected for Elder Heaps, and he went home for a few days to participate in the funeral. I am absolutely amazed at Elder Heaps' perspective. He knows he will see his father again, and he speaks and acts accordingly. Elder Heaps goes home in three months, so I just might be his last companion. We are really excited for the work here.

Along with working with the Woodside Ward, the previous elders were working with the YSA branch in Queens. As a result, we are helping a young man named Annaury progress towards baptism. He will be receiving this ordinance next Sunday. It has been wonderful to work with Annaury this past week. He is readily accepting of the doctrine of Christ and is always sure to ask in prayer for the spiritual confirmation of truth. We are so very excited for Annaury. New YSA sisters were just called specifically to this branch, so after his baptism they will give him the new member lessons. At that point, Elder Heaps and I will be one hundred percent devoted to the Woodside Ward.

We have two other companionships in our district. Elder Van Mondfrans (our district leader) and his brand new trainee Elder Neilson, and Sister Van Langen and her brand new trainee Sister Franklin. This is my twelfth transfer, and the combined total of those four other missionaries is also twelve. I am starting to feel a wee bit old haha. The zone is really great. We have a bunch of solid district leaders who are really motivated to achieve goals. I believe we will be seeing great miracles in this area.

General Conference was absolutely wonderful. I am truly beginning to appreciate the counsel given from these wise spiritual giants. I was really able to gain some great spiritual guidance. Like Mom, Elder Holland's discourse really spoke to me. That simple act of believing has so much power behind it. I plan to be able to use that in my own life, and take advantage of that belief in others to bring them closer to Christ.

Sounds like the family is doing well and everything is fine. I am pleased to announce that me and my yellow beanie made the cover of Deseret News haha. Just ask Mom where it is. President provided a copy for every missionary in the mission so I have my own personal memento of the wonderful parade. Well, I love you all. I hope all is well and that the wellness is sustained.

Love, Elder Hogge

Transfer

Family and Friends,

Sounds like all of you had a fantastic Easter week. It was soooooo cool seeing the pictures of all my family together. Kinda weird not being in them but that's ok :) Its funny, I saw one picture of all you guys sitting at the table making easter eggs and I thought, who in the world is that random fellow!!! Then I realized, "oh yeah! thats my future brother in law!" The wedding isn't too far off now is it. I was excited to hear that you guys still keep in contact with Kam Logan. Be sure to tell him I say hi!!

This weekend has been full of crazy emotions. Saturday night we got transfer calls. Elder Ibarra is out (of course) but they told me that I am out of this area too! The mission lingo for that is being "blinded out". So two new missionaries are going to be "blinded in" to the area on Tuesday. I am so sad to be leaving this area. It seems like whenever I really can get the ball rolling somewhere the Lord just sends me off somewhere else haha. But luckily I have faith that He knows better than I do and that all will be well. I really have no idea where I will be going, but I'm pretty sure I'll be with a great missionary. When I had to tell the members yesterday that I was leaving they were pretty mad haha. Some told me to call President Calderwood to see if I could stay longer. I wouldn't dare trying that but its nice that they all wanted me to stay longer. We had a great dinner last night at the familia Espana's house. They made Pupusas (the traditional dish of El Salvador). They were delicious!!!!! It was tough having to say goodbye to everyone but I'm sure I'll get to see them again.

The area is going great right now. We have been working with some really cool people. There was an experience yesterday that just blew my mind. So Elder Ibarra and I went early to practice with our district for a couple of songs we were going to sing for sacrament meeting. While waiting, a member tells us that there is a fellow waiting in the foyer for some missionaries. We head over to the other side of the church and we meet this guy named Sergio. He tells us that he is very interested in the church and he wants to sit down with us for a bit to explain his story and ask questions. So we get talking with Sergio (Elder Ibarra and I at this point are kind of bewildered because this stuff only happens in movies) and he tells us whats been going on in his life. Turns out he had put himself in a sort of seclusion for a few months so that he could really try to come to know God. Through this process he came into contact with the Book of Mormon so he started reading it online. Later, he made a really good friend from Miami who happened to be Mormon so she sent him a hard copy. He was just amazed with this because he felt that all the religious books he had read in the past weren't very complete and wouldn't bring him as close to God as he needed to be. I could have literally had my jaw gaping this entire time because I was just shocked with how Sergio felt about all of this. So we kept talking with him and explained how the church services work and all that jazz. He absolutely loved church. He said that this was the best atmosphere at a church that he ever felt. In gospel principles we were learning about priesthood. He understood priesthood keys right off the bat. He is coming to all the church activities and General Conference this week. I feel so blessed to have gotten to know Sergio, be it just one Sunday. The new missionaries that are coming in have no idea what they have in store for them haha.

Well, as you can see this has been a pretty special week. I know that the hand of the Lord has been guiding the work here. I don't know where I am headed, but I do know that I am a servant of God and he will be able to accomplish his purposes through me. I love you all so very much! Have a great week!!

Love, Elder Hogge

Ups and Downs

Hello! 

This has been a week filled with ups and downs.

Mom, I loved your story about the temple. There are those faces that just will never leave our mind. I'm glad you were able to be such a special step in the life of this woman.

We got a text from Fabiola this week letting us know that they would not be continuing to meet with us. I think earlier in my mission I would have taken off my shoe and thrown it as hard as I could at the nearest breakable object. Things like that text seem to happen all too frequently for me in my mission, but luckily the Lord is really strengthening me and helping me see the bigger picture. We have to know the sadness of people misusing their agency in order to truly cherish the joy of those that use it correctly in the sight of God. Maybe one day Fabiola and Rodrigo will come around, but today is not that day.

It was tough not seeing any investigators at church this week. Sometimes I expect to see an immediate correlation between the amount of hard hours I work and the outward, visible success I achieve. Thankfully, the Lord is really teaching me how to be humble amid adversity. And its not like he is leaving us blessing-less anyways. Remember Bruno from Bushwick? I was teaching him in December but then I got transfered. Well I got the fantastic news that he was baptized and confirmed last week! That really brightened my day. Unfortunately I couldnt go to the ordinances because they conflicted with the schedule here at Dyker, but it was wonderful to hear. I hope to return to Bushwick to say hi to my good friend.

Also, this week at church a member from the Midwood area (the ward next door to Dyker) walked into church with his girlfriend and children, all who have yet to be baptized. We still aren't sure to what part of Dyker he will move, but he is making a resolve to come to church this year. I see great potential in this. Elder Ibarra and I were also able to visit a less active family that I have spent the better part of 3 months trying to contact. They are very strong and provide great potential for real growth once they make the commitment to come back to church. So although it may feel like we aren't receiving the blessings we want, the ward is receiving the blessings it needs. We are really starting to gain the trust of the bishop here. I am excited to see what the future provides for us.


So today for P-day we are headed to Jamaica to visit a family that Elder Ibarra baptized. (Yes, jamaica is in our mission. jamaica, queens that is) We might head over to the rego park mall to do some recreational shopping and hang out with other missionaries. We will see.
Well, yous guys are awesome!!! Keep up the great support!!


Love, Elder Hogge

Happy Easter

Dearest family and friends,

This was quite an exciting week in the mission field.

Seems like there is a ton of great stuff going on back home. I am sooooooo excited for Neal!! How wonderful it is to see him take that great step in his life. I wish I could have been there to support him. I cant believe he leaves so soon for his mission!  I know he is going to do great. Mom it was awesome to see that picture at the baptism. That family looks so happy together! I can tell that those two missionaries are hard workers just from their appearance. I cant wait to be able to be able to apply what I know here and help out the missionaries back home with the work. Also, I got the package with the giant bag of beef jerky!! I was in heaven when I opened that up. Good choices mom ;)

So this was not a very typical week for missionary work here in New York. The reason for that is that two men came and visited the mission from wednesday to saturday. Their names are Brother Watson and Brother Droubay. And it just turns out that these two brothers were some of the principal writers of Preach My Gospel. That really caught my attention when it was announced that we were going to receive workshops from those that have taken such a deep part in the work. What they taught has changed my mission and my life. They focused on the doctrine of Christ. As a missionary, I had the small thought in the back of my head that I already had a good enough understanding of the gospel. But what these workshops did not only enlarged my understanding, but deepened my conviction to such a great degree. It is simple to explain what they taught, but how it affected me I cannot describe. Its one thing to read Preach My Gospel, but it is another to hear the principles explained by those who wrote it. I have learned so much from PMG but to hear it from the mouth of some of the best missionaries on the planet is truly amazing. They focused on how simple but powerful the lessons must be in order to affect the hearts of these people. So Elder Ibarra and I have tried out this principle. We started that weekend in teaching people. Amazingly enough, that Saturday we had the highest number of lessons than any other day. And we got return appointments for all of them! I know that as we apply what we have been learning we will see great miracles.

One of the things these brethren taught us was a door approach that missionaries have used that has brought them great success. When we talk to people at the door, we offer to come into their homes and leave a blessing on their house and family. It seems really simple but it is a great way to gain these peoples trust much quicker. We have been able to get into the homes of a few people this way already. The Lord has provided such a great blessing on the mission by bringing these two brethren here. 

This is Elder Ibarra's last week in the mission. We are going strong and its sad to see him head back to Mexico. But we have a lot of great appointments set up this week. I really hope to see the work really progress in this area. I have no idea what next transfer will provide but I'm sure we will see miracles. I love you all! Have a great week!

Love, Elder Hogge

Improvement

Dear Everyone,

In this past week, I have seen an amazing amount of improvement within myself and the area. It has been really cool to see. It takes a lot to see real growth within oneself, but it sure is rewarding to see.

I'm so excited to hear about all the new missions opening up! It is just fantastic to see the work to progressing so quickly. And I'm so excited to hear all about the missionaries from our very own stake heading off. Its funny to think about because they really have no idea what it is going to be like until they get there, and boy is it something different. It is definitely harder than one can ever expect. But if it were easy it wouldnt be rewarding haha. And I am glad that people back home still remember me :) I sure miss everyone a lot, but that feeling doesn't phase me anymore. It's more of a feeling of excitement. Absence makes the heart grow fonder I guess. 

As for this week, Elder Ibarra and I have been working our hineys off. Lots of fearlessing, lots of door knocking, lots of calling. Bit by bit we are starting to see progression. But one of the absolute best things about the mission is that success is determined by our commitment to find, teach, and baptize those who have been prepared for the Lord. Our personal success as a missionary is independent of the agency of other people. Sure it is great to see other people come unto Christ through us, but the Lord has specifically told missionaries through Preach My Gospel that doing the work with a willing and obedient heart is what will bring the most success in the mission. That's something that all of us missionaries in the zone have been learning. President is trying to stop all of us from being so prideful in focusing on the numbers aspect of the mission. I know that I am seeing that change within myself. It's funny cuz the more we stop focusing on numbers, the more natural the numbers come. President is a smart man haha. 

So last week, Elder Ibarra and I chased down a Hispanic lady with a little kid and a stroller. We gave our short but powerful message that the gospel can change the lives of her and her family, and she had a willing heart. We were able to visit her, her husband, and her two boys on Saturday. It was really exciting to see. Here in New York City it is pretty tough to find full families together. So we shared with them the family proclamation and committed them to read it together. We plan on coming back some time this week and teaching them how to apply what they are learning. Their names are Fabiola and Rodrigo. I really hope they have a desire to keep learning more about the gospel. I know that this is the kind of growth that the Lord is looking for in His church here in New York.

Well it has been a great week. We are really committed to bringing others to Christ. I know that these people will be blessed as they heed our message.

Love, Elder Hogge

Parade

Family and Friends!

Well there is no getting past Mom! I'm sure there's a chance she has told yall that us missionaries in the New York South Mission were invited to attend a St. Patrick's day parade in the area most affected by Sandy. We got a mass text from the ZL's from the AP's from Prez on friday that let us know that we were going to be participating as honorary guests in the parade. What a wonderful experience!!! There aren't many other times in recent history that I can remember a general population of nonmembers giving such praise and ovation to a group of missionaries. Such a wonderful experience. [see link] Being on the edge of the mass of missionaries, I was able to interact with a lot of these folks. I dont think I have ever in my entire life heard a more sustained stream of "thank yous". As we walked for that hour, we saw mothers and fathers in tears, teenagers and young adults in rambunctious gratitude, and little children with happy smiles and cute waves. It's nice to know that the pure love of Christ really does penetrate to the very soul of those who are blessed by it. (Mom I'm sure you will be happy to see that in the video you watched, if you pause it at 1:28ish you will see a bright yellow beanie that you made bobbing up and down in the wave of yellow shirts)

I feel like the Lord is really testing us here in this pool right now. The Sunday before yesterday, we were able to see four investigators at church. That was such a blessing! But this week, none of them showed up. :( That is just one of the toughest parts of being a missionary: seeing someone soooo close, but not being able to overcome the obstacles of life. But life goes on. We are really starting to gain the trust of the members. When I first got here, the Bishop respected the missionaries, but I am not sure how much he trusted us. I know that one of the main responsibilities of a District Leader is fostering the relationship between the missionaries and the ward. So we have worked so very hard to strengthen our relationship with him. We are really starting to see the blessings of that. He is beginning to trust us with referrals for less active members and part member families. It is really cool to see this change. 

Despite strong efforts, we weren't able to see very many people this week. It had been gearing up for a great seven days, but every single one of our set appointments had cancelled. It was as if they all got together and decided this week would be the week they had other stuff to do. It was so very frustrating because all we want to do is help them. But the work must go on.  We are truly hoping this week will provide great results as we work with the members and investigators.

Well, I love you all. Thank you for your support and love. I'll talk to you next week.

Love, Elder Hogge