Monday, February 23, 2015

The Final Countdown!

Elder Hoggan isn't sure what to email. Should he tell us about his week or his whole mission experience? Should he wait and tell us in person? ;) Here is a brief summary of his amazing week with Elder Samuelson.

They got to the Porsche Museum. The attached picture will be the car that he will have with him when he flies home on Friday. They made him a deal that he couldn't pass up ;) The museum was super cool. Steve will never have enough money to own a Porsche if he wants to have an eternal family, haha. Maybe he will drive one someday.

Sunday was Elder Hoggan's farewell testimony/talk about his experiences and things he has learned. Three main thoughts, along with scriptures, are what he shared about his mission.

1. Trust in God and Jesus Christ. See 2 Nephi 4:16-24; 34. Steve has come to love 2 Nephi so much on his mission and has learned to really trust in Him. Times came when Elder Hoggan wasn't sure what to say, what to do, or was scared. He pushed forward, with much prayer, and always made it through. We will ALWAYS make it through with God on our side. We can trust him for He is the only one who will never let us down. Just when we think that we can't go any further, He gives us the strength and the help that we need to make it through.

2. Elder Hoggan has come to love his Savior. See Alma 5:14. Steve has tried to have the Savior's image in his countenance. Can we say that we have received His image in our countenance? Can others see that we love Jesus Christ and represent Him through our reactions and actions? No one is perfect, but Steve has tried to develop the love that Christ has for us and   has tried to know the Savior better. One thing that Elder Hoggan will miss dearly is the chance that he has had to testify to people he barely knows that Jesus Christ is their Redeemer and that He loves them. Steve knows this to be true and will still get to say it, but not full time. He will keep trying to have His image in his countenance.

3. Elder Hoggan has a stronger testimony of the Book of Mormon. See 2 Nephi 33:10. This is one of Steve's favorite scriptures and is one of the foundations of his testimony. It really is the word of God! You cannot read the Book and not know that it is from Him! It gives powerful testimony of Christ, and anyone who honestly searches the book will come to know that it is true if they read it with an open heart and real intent. Steve knows that the Book of Mormon can change people and it really truly has changed him.

A lot of goodbyes have been said and more will happen this week. Elder Hoggan is super booked with appointments this week and is so torn about coming home. It's truly a strange feeling. It's as if he is dreaming and will wake up soon to still have a year or 6 months left. This is reality and he's excited to come home to his family and American food! It will be cool to watch sports again and all that Jazz (ha). 

Steve will never forget the time he has had there and will miss the German people he has served. They may be a proud and direct people, but Elder Hoggan loves them! He is so thankful to Heavenly Father for the chance to be there and to learn. Learning will continue as Steve moves forward. The Gospel is the ONLY way to true happiness in this life and in the next. This is Elder Hoggan's testimony.

He closes with gratitude for all of the love and support he has received and felt on his mission. It has truly helped him.

God bless us all!

Elder Steven Hoggan
Alpine German-Speaking Mission

Monday, February 16, 2015

Finals Week

Guten Tag meine Lieben,

Time is flying for Elder Hoggan. It is close to the end! This coming week will be Steve's last full one in Germany! He will serve with all of his heart, might, mind, and strength :) Things are so great in Waiblingen and full of good things!

While street contacting, the Elders met a man who looked like Santa Claus except he was smoking and said that his name was Adam. He didn't have any time to meet, but would meet them later in front of store the next day. Adam was a no show, but on the way there, a man from Berlin was lost with no idea where he was.

Missionaries without ipads always have a map! This guy had been to Salt Lake before, had received the missionaries one time many years ago at his home, and has a Book of Mormon. Elders Hoggan and Samuelson helped him get where he needed to go and enjoyed the walk with him. His impression of the church is good right now.

Karlheinz was visited on Wednesday. He had been sick for a few days, but was now back on his feet and doing well. Another meeting will be on Saturday.

Thursday was cool, because Elder Patrick Kearon of the Seventy for Mission Tour spoke. The Elders had to take an ICE train to Munich for two hours to listen to Sister Kohler, President Kohler, and Elder Kearon. Different topics were shared, but the main one was how we always have the decision to choose.

It's always up to us to decided how we will react to situations. We can choose to love talking to people on the street or we can choose to hate it. We can choose to be happy missionaries or we can choose to be miserable. It is always our choice! This applies to all of us. Steve is applying this to all he does.

Obedience was mentioned and how regret comes from disobedience and regret never comes from obedience. When we make right choices, we won't have to worry about regretting things. 

A picture was taken at lunch time with Elders Stuart, Mickelson, Jensen, and Hoggan.They all are serving in the Alpine German-Speaking Mission and went to Sky View High School together. It was great to talk with them and catch up. Lunch was good, too.

Steve's zone had to catch a train and hurried out during the closing hymn to rush to the train station. Somehow, they were able to get there in under 10 minutes and get on the train. It was a great ride home, too.

Elders Hoggan and Samuelson met with a LA sister on Friday. She's in her 70's and doesn't have any faith. She almost has the desire to believe, but isn't letting the desire work in her. The missionaries will continue to help her.

Karlheinz met the Elders and his awesome Bishop at the church. He was given the sacrament and taught the importance of it.  This enabled Karlheinz the chance to renew his baptismal covenants.

A cool appointment with Herr Boden took place on Saturday night. He's been busy the last few weeks, but enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies (Aunt Pam's recipe) that the Elders baked just for him. Their lesson went well on faith and repentance. Herr Boden didn't know that he was allowed to pray out loud as a non-member. Now he knows that he can pray in front of others and is grateful for this basic blessing that he was taught.

Herr Boden is doing really well and won't be baptized before Steve leaves Germany, but he is on his way.

This was an amazing week and Elder Hoggan knows that next week will be another one to remember!   

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Super Woche!

Elder Hoggan can't believe that he is closing in on the last weeks of his mission! Luckily, he still has two to go and will serve the Lord with all of his heart, might, mind, and strength. Steve will be doing his best with what little time is left.

The Work is still moving forward. Elders Hoggan and Samuelson have been knocking on doors, learning humility, and counting their blessings while loving what comes.

Karlheinz is doing well. They planned to watch a video about Christ, but the DVD didn't work. This normally happens with investigators, but there was a backup plan :) Instead, they each wrote about their baptism experiences. It turned out to be so cool! The Spirit was in the room! They shared what was written and reflected back on their baptism memories. Now this is something that Karlheinz has and can refer back to.

Good lessons were taught to investigators. Reinhart had read about the church on the internet, but this turned out to be a really good thing. He likes many things such as missionary work, no smoking, and no drinking. He doesn't care for the strictness of coffee not being allowed, but seems to be opening up to the gospel message. His daughter will be in on future lessons, too.

Bertrand, a man who was baptized in June, visited with the missionaries and is going through some problems. He will not be able to stay in Germany. The Bishop was at the church at the same time and took everyone out for Doners : ) aka Kebaps. It was awesome to eat together and bond more with the Bishop. He's the coolest!

Next week is a mission tour with Elder Patrick Kearon of the Seventy and the 1st Counselor in the Area Presidency. The zone will meet in Muchen and it will be the biggest meeting that Steve has seen on his mission. Missionaries from Austria will be there, too. Four zones will be together for the first time and so a reunion will take place with the Elders serving from Sky View High School. Pictures will be taken and it will be an awesome week!

Liebe GruBe

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Karlheinz's Baptism!!

Elder Hoggan had an awesome Saturday! He was an eyewitness to this sacred occasion :) Last week consisted with baking cookies, filling the font up, cleaning the church, shopping for a white shirt, and trying not to forget anything. 

Sick deals were found with two white shirts and three ties for under $25. A member just happened to bring a pair of Sunday shoes that were no  longer needed and were exactly the right size for Karlheinz.

Elder Samuelson was able to practice his musical number and since they live close to the church, they took their ironing board and iron over. Steve ironed his white shirt and one for Karlheinz. 

It was an awesome program on baptism, but Elder Hoggan was sooo nervous! Karlheinz had asked Steve to baptize him and he had never done that before. Silent prayers were said that all would be ok for both of them and that Karlheinz would have a good experience.

The font was left running, because the Bishop thought it would be good to have the font a little more full. As they went down the stairs, the water stayed in the font. It was super full and some water was let out. Elder Hoggan said the prayer, baptized him, and got Karlheinz up out of the water without trouble. However, there was a little wave that went splashing over onto the floor and the front row got a taste of the action :) 

Karlheinz is a BIG guy, 60 years old, and not the most agile. Having the font full was a tender mercy. Steve is glad that the font was too full and not too empty :) He might have had some troubles otherwise.  Who knows? Karlheinz didn't get the chance to plug his nose, but it was super amazing!!! Afterwards, there was an awesome feeling of peace.

Because of his circumstances, Karlheinz received the Holy Ghost the same day. He bore his testimony and shared experiences that helped him to see that God was there to help him and answer his prayers. One of them was super cool. He was struggling with money this past month, went grocery shopping, and prayed in his heart that he could find a little more money to help him. He finished shopping with everything that he needed and went to the bus stop. A lady approached him and asked if he always had to count out what he buys exactly every time. Karlheinz replied that he didn't, but it was a tough month. She gave him E10 and went on her way. That lady must have seen him back at the store.

Karlheinz was so grateful for this answer to his prayers and shared how he had prayed to God to help him know if this was the right way. He received his answer that this was the right way :)

The after-party was great! Pictures were taken and Karlheinz felt really good. He'd like to go to the Frankfurt Temple this summer :) He's doing so well and it's awesome :)

Three investigators attended the baptism and they all seemed to enjoy it :) Herr Boden was one of them :)

Steve's week was sick. His highlight reel includes going to the Mercedes-Benz Museum and it was super cool. In a couple of weeks, the Elders will visit the Porsche Museum.

Now Elders Hoggan and Samuelson are teaching a 7 year old girl from a member family as she prepares to be baptized when she is 8.

The Lord's work is always moving forward :) Steve is so thankful that he had the chance to serve Karlheinz and help him to find the gospel. This church helps people to know God and Jesus Christ. It worked for Karlheinz, has worked for Elder Hoggan, and can work for anyone :)







   


Monday, January 26, 2015

It's gonna be a good week!

Schonen guten Tag meine Lieben,

Elder Hoggan hopes that everything is great on this side of the world, because things are soooo good over where he is!!! Elder Samuelson and he are seeing a lot of cool happenings in their ward that they are very thankful for. They must work on staying humble and diligent which are the keys to success! The next week should be amazing as well!

Saturday is the baptism for Karlheinz!!! Elder Hoggan attached the baptismal program at the end of his email. A friend of Karlheinz's has bone cancer and is in the hospital for six weeks. He will be covering her shift on Sundays, but still has permission from the mission president and Bishop to be baptized. He will receive the Holy Ghost on Saturday, too.

Elder Hoggan couldn't have asked for a more wonderful experience towards the end of his mission. Meetings with Karlheinz will take place every day this week. Prayers are always appreciated for those accepting the gospel.

Herr Boden is doing really well. He's cool, studying the gospel in depth, and is trying to learn all he can. He wants to be baptized, but isn't sure when to do that. He likes to do things nice and slow. Herr Boden has a strong testimony and went to church without his wife, who is a member, because she was sick.

Elder Hoggan had his second to last interview with his mission president and appreciated the one-on-one time with him. Great insight was given for Karlheinz and for finishing a mission off in the best way possible :)

An exchange took place with Elder Georgiev from Bulgaria. He and Elder Hoggan had a blast together! This missionary is hilarious and one of the few serving in the world from his country. It was a really cool opportunity.

On Sunday, a member brought a friend to church. Achmed is from Pakistan and was given a Book of Mormon in the Urdu language. Communication is a huge barrier, so their first lesson on the Plan of Salvation included drawing pictures. He's a nice guy and likes going to church. The Book of mormon will have to play a big role in his life!

After church, new investigators of the Muslim faith were taught and need some help learning German. A spiritual thought will also be shared in addition and they are looking forward to meeting with Elders Hoggan and Samuelson.

Pday will be short today, because a member is taking Steve and his companion to the Mercedes-Benz Museum  on Wednesday. It's closed on Mondays. In a couple of weeks,  these Elders will probably get to go to the Porsche Museum, too. They are looking forward to these awesome experiences :)

Steve's January package arrived and he sent us a picture of our aprons mailed to them :D

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

I'm So Happy =)

It was a great week in Waiblingen! Transfers took place and really good things happened with investigators and ward members.

Elder Jensen left for Wien/Vienna. Goodbyes were made before hauling his heavy bags to the train station quickly. Elder Samuelson was found and is really cool. He's from Spokane, Washington, and left for his mission two weeks after high school graduation! He was active in cross country and track which means he loves to run. Elder Samuelson has been serving for six months and Waiblingen is his second area. He's a solid guy with a positive attitude, very humble, and it will be an awesome next few weeks together.

Karlheinz is doing super well! He has had concerns, but they don't seem to be holding him back from baptism at all. One lesson was spent on answers to his questions, explaining things, and having him sincerely open up to those concerns. His baptismal service has been planned and Karlheinz has put some thought into who should do what. He trusts the ward and seems to like them.

A member's friend, Achmed, was given a brochure on Sunday. He's a Muslim and is a nice guy. Teaching him may take place in the coming weeks.

Herr Boden was at church and Elder Samuelson had the chance to teach him and get to know him better. Friday is their next appointment to meet. He is close to baptism, needs to meet with the Bishop, and continues to learn all of the doctrine!!

Things are going well for Elder Hoggan! He's very grateful for the many prayers and love.

Mach's gut diese Woche!

(Do good this week)


Monday, January 12, 2015

Last Transfer Call!!

Elder Hoggan will stay where he is for his last transfer call. Elder Jensen is off to Vienna. Elder Samuelson will be Steve's new companion. He has a positive attitude and was trained by Elder Corey Jensen who attended Sky View with Steve.

Elder Hoggan spoke in church on Hastening the Work and different aspects of reasons why missionaries serve as they do. 1. Because of a love of God and to keep His commandments. 
2. It brings joy and peace. These are feelings that naturally need to be shared. Steve promised the ward that he would continue to give it his all these next six weeks and miracles would occur. So come what may and love it!

In Sunday School, Elder Hoggan got to go with the WML and teach Karlheinz. He has concerns about what others have told him. Such as Mormons are a sect and just want his $. Karlheinz wants to be baptized and decided that he should stick with his date to do so on 31st of January.

Elder Jensen went with two brothers to teach Herr Boden during their Sunday School split. He was taught the Plan of Salvation and will be choosing a date to be baptized within the next six weeks :)

Frau Schif is having a hard time with the program to help her quit smoking. She needs prayers. Three planned appointments last week fell through, but this change brought a stop to Frau Muller which became a miracle. Contact had been lost with her for two months. The Elders tried over and over, but she was never there. An awesome lesson was had with Frau Schif and a family that does FHE for everyone in the ward/investigators who are single and over 30. 

They asked her to attend their next FHE and she agreed! FHE is an awesome activity to help people get to know the church and the missionaries. Karlheinz will be there as well :) 

Elder Hoggan knows that the next six weeks will never be forgotten :)