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 23, 2015
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!
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
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 :)
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
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)
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 :)
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 :)
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Happy New Year!
Another year has gone by. Elder Hoggan wished all of us a good "slip" into the new year as the German people would say.
A cool experience was had with Karlheinz. He had been working on Sundays for a friend that wouldn't be back until February. Miraculously, she returned and was able to cover her shift from 8-1 which meant that Karlheinz could attend church. God is a God of Miracles!
Two visit were made to Frau Schif last week. Lessons were given on baptism, the Holy Ghost, and the stop-smoking program. Frau Schif crushed her cigarettes in her hand on the count of three and hasn't smoked since Saturday! She attended church and is off to a good start, but could use additional prayers as she makes this difficult change!
New Years Eve day was rough, but that night was spent with a member family whose kids had a lot of fun lighting off "Utah fireworks". A delicious meal, Rouladen, was served. After arriving home at 9 p.m., the Elders planned and went to bed. They were awakened at 12:05 a.m. with fireworks outside of their window. It was crazy and like a war zone!
New Years Day visits were with members. Elders Hoggan and Jensen had baked cookies for Herr Boden, his wife, and another member. It paid off :) Bodens made it to church and a future lesson at their home is scheduled for this week :)
The work is going awesome and the ward is great!
Elder Hoggan closed with gratitude for the prayers and support, because he really needs them!
A cool experience was had with Karlheinz. He had been working on Sundays for a friend that wouldn't be back until February. Miraculously, she returned and was able to cover her shift from 8-1 which meant that Karlheinz could attend church. God is a God of Miracles!
Two visit were made to Frau Schif last week. Lessons were given on baptism, the Holy Ghost, and the stop-smoking program. Frau Schif crushed her cigarettes in her hand on the count of three and hasn't smoked since Saturday! She attended church and is off to a good start, but could use additional prayers as she makes this difficult change!
New Years Eve day was rough, but that night was spent with a member family whose kids had a lot of fun lighting off "Utah fireworks". A delicious meal, Rouladen, was served. After arriving home at 9 p.m., the Elders planned and went to bed. They were awakened at 12:05 a.m. with fireworks outside of their window. It was crazy and like a war zone!
New Years Day visits were with members. Elders Hoggan and Jensen had baked cookies for Herr Boden, his wife, and another member. It paid off :) Bodens made it to church and a future lesson at their home is scheduled for this week :)
The work is going awesome and the ward is great!
Elder Hoggan closed with gratitude for the prayers and support, because he really needs them!
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Christmas Week-Miracle Week!
Elder Hoggan is lucky enough to celebrate two days of Christmas! December 25th and 26th are the first and second days of Christmas! What a great holiday! Pretty cool miracles were the best gifts this year.
Karlheinz met twice with Elders Hoggan and Jensen. They watched the "He is the Gift" video and committed him to baptism and Karlheinz accepted their invitation! A date has been set for the 31st of January. He enjoyed learning about the Plan of Salvation and said that it makes sense to him.
Karlheinz prayed right then and there, out loud, to see if the Plan and the Book of Mormon are true. He had a good feeling after his amazing prayer and said, "I think that it's like a plant. You need to nurture and water it and then it will grow and grow until it becomes a tree!" That's exactly right!The Elders asked him to read about Alma in chapter 32 about faith being a seed.
Pray for Karlheinz as he tries to reach his date to be baptized. He works on Sundays, but needs to go to church to become a member. He's looking for an option and a miracle!
Christmas Eve was great! Metzners, a member family, prepared a dinner of goose with mashed potatoes. It was super good! That was followed by a little Christmas program, just like Elder Hoggan remembers with family at his grandparents homes. Music was played, poems were shared, the nativity story was read, and then the kids received their presents. They were hilarious. Wrapping paper was flying left and right. Metzners even got the Elders a little something. It was awesome to get to know this member family better. Bru. Metzner told Elder Hoggan about some of his mission experiences which made Steve laugh pretty hard.
Christmas morning was a little bit different. After gifts were opened, the Elders studied and then went with the Metzners to clean the church. Steve wore his new Dallas Cowboys shirt to mop the hall and bathroom floors. He really enjoyed his presents of Cowboy Gear :) Slippers, a wallet, tattoos, 88 Des Bryant t-shirt, toothbrush, a glass, and tie. Christmas was an experience that Elder Hoggan really enjoyed. Cleaning the church is a great service opportunity.
Christmas day was spent with other ward members. They had Raclette. It is a cheese that you put under a heater. Corn, onions, etc., are added to the melted cheese and served on top of a potato. It's pretty good and Steve got to eat it two days in a row!
Skype was amazing on Christmas evening. Elder Hoggan can't believe that it was his last skype home. Time has flown by! It was great to see everyone. Now that Christmas is over, these missionaries aren't letting anything hold them back. They're already back to work :)
A little snow fell on the second day of Christmas and more has come since then :)
Frau Schif is another miracle! She's doing really well and her baptismal date has been moved to the 21st of February. This week the Elders will finally get to start the stop smoking program with her. She needs prayers as well!
Elder Hoggan sends his Happy Birthday wishes to his parents! Steve wanted to close his email with some memories of Grandpa Turner who passed away on 22nd December, his mother's birthday. Grandpa is in a better place and isn't held back by his body anymore.
President Monson taught us, "To all within the sound of my voice, I declare, if a man die, he shall live again. We know, for we have the light of revealed truth."
It is comforting that we will see Grandpa Turner again. Steve remembers Grandpa for being very obedient, loving, kind, and always up for a nice game of checkers and pool. Whenever Steve asked Grandpa how he was doing, he always replied, "Oh, about the same."
Grandpa had a positive attitude and was a funny man, as well. He is the one to thank for the cabin in Wyoming. Grandpa loved the outdoors and the cabin has become one of Steve's favorite places on earth. Maybe his favorite.
Grandpa and Grandma brought forth some amazing family members. Steve loves his family so much! Thanks for Everything, Grandpa! You have accepted your mission call! Grandpa is probably busy in the spirit world with that one!
Elder Hoggan sends his love and says, "You're the best!" He ends with Happy New Year!!!!!! As the Germans would say, guten rusch!
L.g.
Karlheinz met twice with Elders Hoggan and Jensen. They watched the "He is the Gift" video and committed him to baptism and Karlheinz accepted their invitation! A date has been set for the 31st of January. He enjoyed learning about the Plan of Salvation and said that it makes sense to him.
Karlheinz prayed right then and there, out loud, to see if the Plan and the Book of Mormon are true. He had a good feeling after his amazing prayer and said, "I think that it's like a plant. You need to nurture and water it and then it will grow and grow until it becomes a tree!" That's exactly right!The Elders asked him to read about Alma in chapter 32 about faith being a seed.
Pray for Karlheinz as he tries to reach his date to be baptized. He works on Sundays, but needs to go to church to become a member. He's looking for an option and a miracle!
Christmas Eve was great! Metzners, a member family, prepared a dinner of goose with mashed potatoes. It was super good! That was followed by a little Christmas program, just like Elder Hoggan remembers with family at his grandparents homes. Music was played, poems were shared, the nativity story was read, and then the kids received their presents. They were hilarious. Wrapping paper was flying left and right. Metzners even got the Elders a little something. It was awesome to get to know this member family better. Bru. Metzner told Elder Hoggan about some of his mission experiences which made Steve laugh pretty hard.
Christmas morning was a little bit different. After gifts were opened, the Elders studied and then went with the Metzners to clean the church. Steve wore his new Dallas Cowboys shirt to mop the hall and bathroom floors. He really enjoyed his presents of Cowboy Gear :) Slippers, a wallet, tattoos, 88 Des Bryant t-shirt, toothbrush, a glass, and tie. Christmas was an experience that Elder Hoggan really enjoyed. Cleaning the church is a great service opportunity.
Christmas day was spent with other ward members. They had Raclette. It is a cheese that you put under a heater. Corn, onions, etc., are added to the melted cheese and served on top of a potato. It's pretty good and Steve got to eat it two days in a row!
Skype was amazing on Christmas evening. Elder Hoggan can't believe that it was his last skype home. Time has flown by! It was great to see everyone. Now that Christmas is over, these missionaries aren't letting anything hold them back. They're already back to work :)
A little snow fell on the second day of Christmas and more has come since then :)
Frau Schif is another miracle! She's doing really well and her baptismal date has been moved to the 21st of February. This week the Elders will finally get to start the stop smoking program with her. She needs prayers as well!
Elder Hoggan sends his Happy Birthday wishes to his parents! Steve wanted to close his email with some memories of Grandpa Turner who passed away on 22nd December, his mother's birthday. Grandpa is in a better place and isn't held back by his body anymore.
President Monson taught us, "To all within the sound of my voice, I declare, if a man die, he shall live again. We know, for we have the light of revealed truth."
It is comforting that we will see Grandpa Turner again. Steve remembers Grandpa for being very obedient, loving, kind, and always up for a nice game of checkers and pool. Whenever Steve asked Grandpa how he was doing, he always replied, "Oh, about the same."
Grandpa had a positive attitude and was a funny man, as well. He is the one to thank for the cabin in Wyoming. Grandpa loved the outdoors and the cabin has become one of Steve's favorite places on earth. Maybe his favorite.
Grandpa and Grandma brought forth some amazing family members. Steve loves his family so much! Thanks for Everything, Grandpa! You have accepted your mission call! Grandpa is probably busy in the spirit world with that one!
Elder Hoggan sends his love and says, "You're the best!" He ends with Happy New Year!!!!!! As the Germans would say, guten rusch!
L.g.
Monday, December 15, 2014
10 Days till Christmas
Elder Hoggan cannot believe that another week has flown by! Christmas is next week and this is such an awesome time of the year. Steve loves being where he is and has learned more about the true meaning of Christmas. When younger, we think about the gifts. Jesus Christ is the GIFT! Check out the "He is the Gift" video and share it with others. He really is the best gift that any of us could get or give during this time of year.
Elders Hoggan and Jensen finished up their baking preparation last Tuesday for the ward Christmas Party on Saturday. They had four more Elders in their apartment, too. On Wednesday, they went to Munich and stayed over the night, because of traveling.
Wednesday was a day that Steve could have written about forever! It was so amazing! The highlights included a musical fireside put on by missionaries, hearing President and Sister Kohler speak about putting Christ first, had an awesome lunch, and gift exchange. Elder Hoggan gave away a couple of ugly ties that he found in their apartment along with a spaghetti flavored baby food and other flavors. Steve received a coin holder with a Bavaria coin. Chips are used for shopping carts at markets. Money can be used, too, but the idea is to get people to take their cart back. In America, it could be used as a golf ball marker. Elder Hoggan is pretty satisfied with his gift.
President Kohler then surprised everyone with Ipads!! Ok, that was a joke. The missionaries did get to watch Meet the Mormons instead!! That was just as cool, because President Kohler had to pull some strings :) Elder Hoggan received his Christmas package from home and that was a highlight as well. It is under his tree. So cool!
The Ward Christmas Party went well with the fortune cookie stand. Their sign read, "Leckeres aus den Schriften." Deliciousness from the Scriptures, or something like that. The cookies were a lot of work, but it was worth it. Elders Hoggan and Jensen baked about 130 along with a giant one that was on display. The members seemed to like it. Karlheinz and Thomas Boden, investigators, showed up and seemed to have a good time. All of the stands at the Christmas Market were all nice, too. There were games for children, food, arts, and crafts. Overall, Elder Hoggan thinks it was a success. He won't pursue the fortune cookie business though.
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A miracle story occurred regarding Frau Schif. She called the Elders a few weeks ago and told them that she wasn't so interested anymore in the church. She dropped them and they didn't really understand why. Phone calls were rejected, so Elder Hoggan knew that they had to stop by on Friday. They talked to her at the door and her new job added too much stress. A new appointment was made for Tuesday and their visit that day went well! It was really awesome. Elders Hoggan and Jensen were worried about her, fasted and prayed for her, and miracles do happen! Hopefully, all will go well on Tuesday.
Last Pday, the Elders were able to go to a Christmas Market in Ludwigsburg. It was pretty and today they will go to one in Esslingen. It's supposed to be super cool :)
Eine schone Woche wunsche ich euch!
Elders Hoggan and Jensen finished up their baking preparation last Tuesday for the ward Christmas Party on Saturday. They had four more Elders in their apartment, too. On Wednesday, they went to Munich and stayed over the night, because of traveling.
Wednesday was a day that Steve could have written about forever! It was so amazing! The highlights included a musical fireside put on by missionaries, hearing President and Sister Kohler speak about putting Christ first, had an awesome lunch, and gift exchange. Elder Hoggan gave away a couple of ugly ties that he found in their apartment along with a spaghetti flavored baby food and other flavors. Steve received a coin holder with a Bavaria coin. Chips are used for shopping carts at markets. Money can be used, too, but the idea is to get people to take their cart back. In America, it could be used as a golf ball marker. Elder Hoggan is pretty satisfied with his gift.
President Kohler then surprised everyone with Ipads!! Ok, that was a joke. The missionaries did get to watch Meet the Mormons instead!! That was just as cool, because President Kohler had to pull some strings :) Elder Hoggan received his Christmas package from home and that was a highlight as well. It is under his tree. So cool!
The Ward Christmas Party went well with the fortune cookie stand. Their sign read, "Leckeres aus den Schriften." Deliciousness from the Scriptures, or something like that. The cookies were a lot of work, but it was worth it. Elders Hoggan and Jensen baked about 130 along with a giant one that was on display. The members seemed to like it. Karlheinz and Thomas Boden, investigators, showed up and seemed to have a good time. All of the stands at the Christmas Market were all nice, too. There were games for children, food, arts, and crafts. Overall, Elder Hoggan thinks it was a success. He won't pursue the fortune cookie business though.
A miracle story occurred regarding Frau Schif. She called the Elders a few weeks ago and told them that she wasn't so interested anymore in the church. She dropped them and they didn't really understand why. Phone calls were rejected, so Elder Hoggan knew that they had to stop by on Friday. They talked to her at the door and her new job added too much stress. A new appointment was made for Tuesday and their visit that day went well! It was really awesome. Elders Hoggan and Jensen were worried about her, fasted and prayed for her, and miracles do happen! Hopefully, all will go well on Tuesday.
Last Pday, the Elders were able to go to a Christmas Market in Ludwigsburg. It was pretty and today they will go to one in Esslingen. It's supposed to be super cool :)
Eine schone Woche wunsche ich euch!
Monday, December 8, 2014
Christmas around the Corner!
Another great week for Elders Hoggan and Jensen. Their weeks never go quite as planned, but these two have learned to be flexible :) Steve shares that we need to be creators of circumstances and not creatures of circumstances. These Elders find ways to really enjoy their service and get the work done.
Wednesday night was pretty memorable. Elder Hoggan went on a split with their Bishop and Elder Jensen went with the first counselor. Bertrand was visited. He is the new member from Cameroon. Unfortunately, Bertrand is struggling due to the government only giving him 20 Euro or $25 a month to live on instead of what he usually receives which is 300 Euro. Steve and the Bishop took him grocery shopping to make sure he has what he needs. Then they got a Doner. They're super good :) Meanwhile, Elder Jensen was with the 1st Counselor trying to fix the Elders washing machine. Many things were unplugged, but it is broken. A new one will be delivered today.
Here's a crazy experience of the week. These two Elders got back together later Wednesday evening, and put a pizza in the oven for Elder Jensen. They decided to put up their Christmas things and got excited about it so they ran down to the basement. While down stairs, they realized that they had left their keys...and thought they were locked out with a pizza in the oven. BUT luckily, Elder jensen hadn't closed their door all the way :) Now their Christmas is all set up and that gave them a nice boost. Elder Hoggan loves coming home to their tree, even if Elder Jensen has his Green Bay Packers things on it.
Friday was fun. They were prepping for the Ward Christmas Party with their WML. This will be like a small Christmas Market and each organization will have their own stand. The Elders will give out fortune cookies with a scripture inside that has to do with missionary work :) Friday morning was mostly spent baking fortune cookies. Anything can be done with the internet today. It isn't super difficult, but takes a lot of time. Maybe Elder Hoggan will bake them again later in life. It was pretty fun to do and he is excited for next week!
Yesterday was amazing, too! The Elders finally got to meet with Herr Boden. He goes to church with his wife and had dinner afterward with the missionaries and a member family. It was super awesome! Herr Boden had to have surgery this past year and was lying on his death bed, but he survived and it brought him closer to God. His wife gave him scriptures to read and different things. She also brought him to church and he has felt the Spirit! Herr Boden began tearing up as he spoke about his testimony! He just needs to be taught more and shown the way of what he needs to do! The Elders are super excited for him :)
Pday brings a Christmas Market in Ludwigsburg. Next week they will go to one in Esslingen. Followed by one in Stuttgart. These places are about a 30-40 minute journey on the S-bahn or Schnellbahn. It's like a subway, but faster.
Wednesday night was pretty memorable. Elder Hoggan went on a split with their Bishop and Elder Jensen went with the first counselor. Bertrand was visited. He is the new member from Cameroon. Unfortunately, Bertrand is struggling due to the government only giving him 20 Euro or $25 a month to live on instead of what he usually receives which is 300 Euro. Steve and the Bishop took him grocery shopping to make sure he has what he needs. Then they got a Doner. They're super good :) Meanwhile, Elder Jensen was with the 1st Counselor trying to fix the Elders washing machine. Many things were unplugged, but it is broken. A new one will be delivered today.
Here's a crazy experience of the week. These two Elders got back together later Wednesday evening, and put a pizza in the oven for Elder Jensen. They decided to put up their Christmas things and got excited about it so they ran down to the basement. While down stairs, they realized that they had left their keys...and thought they were locked out with a pizza in the oven. BUT luckily, Elder jensen hadn't closed their door all the way :) Now their Christmas is all set up and that gave them a nice boost. Elder Hoggan loves coming home to their tree, even if Elder Jensen has his Green Bay Packers things on it.
Friday was fun. They were prepping for the Ward Christmas Party with their WML. This will be like a small Christmas Market and each organization will have their own stand. The Elders will give out fortune cookies with a scripture inside that has to do with missionary work :) Friday morning was mostly spent baking fortune cookies. Anything can be done with the internet today. It isn't super difficult, but takes a lot of time. Maybe Elder Hoggan will bake them again later in life. It was pretty fun to do and he is excited for next week!
Yesterday was amazing, too! The Elders finally got to meet with Herr Boden. He goes to church with his wife and had dinner afterward with the missionaries and a member family. It was super awesome! Herr Boden had to have surgery this past year and was lying on his death bed, but he survived and it brought him closer to God. His wife gave him scriptures to read and different things. She also brought him to church and he has felt the Spirit! Herr Boden began tearing up as he spoke about his testimony! He just needs to be taught more and shown the way of what he needs to do! The Elders are super excited for him :)
Pday brings a Christmas Market in Ludwigsburg. Next week they will go to one in Esslingen. Followed by one in Stuttgart. These places are about a 30-40 minute journey on the S-bahn or Schnellbahn. It's like a subway, but faster.
Monday, December 1, 2014
A Week of Adventures
It was a pretty adventurous week. A lot of different things happened, but first-Thanksgiving!
The Elders cooked schnitzel, mashed potatoes, veggies, and a couple cakes for their district meeting. Elder Jensen's family tradition is to make indian or pilgrim hats. This was a fun activity. Elder Hoggan was the only pilgrim. He's thankful for the pilgrims! ;) Each said what they were thankful for. Such as family, friends, and America.
The day got even better when Elders Hoggan and Mickelson worked together. These two went to Sky View and compared how the mission has changed them. They shared fun memories, did some good missionary work, and know that they are better off now than they were before their missions :)
Frau Dias was introduced to the Book of Mormon and seems pretty interested in reading it :) She should be able to make progress in the gospel.
Justin was taught about the first vision. He is open and had a lot of good questions after the 30 minute lesson.
Wong is from China. He's a new investigator and has read the Bible twice. His appointment had to be moved back a week due to a train delay.
There seem to be a lot of train and subway problems lately. This delay was due to a man that jumped in the subway at the last second as the doors were closing and ripped them open. He walked away and broke the doors so they wouldn't shut.
In the coming days, the Elders will be checking out Christmas Markets. They are excited to visit ones in Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg, and Esslingen.
Prayers are offered on our behalf from Steve and he appreciates the ones we say for him, too :) He asks that we keep it up and sends his love to all :)
The Elders cooked schnitzel, mashed potatoes, veggies, and a couple cakes for their district meeting. Elder Jensen's family tradition is to make indian or pilgrim hats. This was a fun activity. Elder Hoggan was the only pilgrim. He's thankful for the pilgrims! ;) Each said what they were thankful for. Such as family, friends, and America.
The day got even better when Elders Hoggan and Mickelson worked together. These two went to Sky View and compared how the mission has changed them. They shared fun memories, did some good missionary work, and know that they are better off now than they were before their missions :)
Frau Dias was introduced to the Book of Mormon and seems pretty interested in reading it :) She should be able to make progress in the gospel.
Justin was taught about the first vision. He is open and had a lot of good questions after the 30 minute lesson.
Wong is from China. He's a new investigator and has read the Bible twice. His appointment had to be moved back a week due to a train delay.
There seem to be a lot of train and subway problems lately. This delay was due to a man that jumped in the subway at the last second as the doors were closing and ripped them open. He walked away and broke the doors so they wouldn't shut.
In the coming days, the Elders will be checking out Christmas Markets. They are excited to visit ones in Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg, and Esslingen.
Prayers are offered on our behalf from Steve and he appreciates the ones we say for him, too :) He asks that we keep it up and sends his love to all :)
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Weekly Email! (Sorry, no creative title this week!)
Another wunderbar week! The work keeps moving forward :) Elder Hoggan doesn't have any crazy WWII bomb stories this week, just good missionary ones :)
Frau Dias, an investigator, is open to meeting and learning more about the gospel! Karlheinz is an investigator the previous missionaries taught. He's pretty cool, as well.
Frau Schif went to church, fell asleep a couple of times in sacrament meeting, but that's ok. If you're going to sleep somewhere then it best be in church. Right? The only special thing going one was Elder Hoggan's talk on missionary work. He put the congregation in the MTC with Steve as their teacher. He was nervous, but shared tips for things we all can do to overcome fear :) It was fun. Frau Schif needs prayers as she tries to quit smoking in a week with a program the Elders will help her with. She understands the word of wisdom and can do it :)
The stake had a priesthood meeting Thursday about standing up for what we believe and having courage to do so. The video is awesome:)
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-05-005-dare-to-stand-alone?lang=eng
Another discussion at the same priesthood meeting was about Jesus and the lady who was caught in adultery. When Jesus was asked what to do by the angry pharisees, He gave them the opportunity to cool down a little. This gave Him a chance to ponder and respond. We all can learn from this. Do we jump to conclusions too fast? Do we say something we don't really mean, because we are angry?
Appointments have been moved :( One due to an investigator who had to take her cat to the vet. The crazy thing is, Germans love their cats so much! It's really quite funny. Just not for Elder Hoggan since he discovered that he has a cat allergy :)
For Thanksgiving, Steve's district will have schnitzel, mashed potatoes, vegi's, and pie :) The Elders are keeping the spirit of Thanksgiving going over there! Count your many blessings!
Frau Dias, an investigator, is open to meeting and learning more about the gospel! Karlheinz is an investigator the previous missionaries taught. He's pretty cool, as well.
Frau Schif went to church, fell asleep a couple of times in sacrament meeting, but that's ok. If you're going to sleep somewhere then it best be in church. Right? The only special thing going one was Elder Hoggan's talk on missionary work. He put the congregation in the MTC with Steve as their teacher. He was nervous, but shared tips for things we all can do to overcome fear :) It was fun. Frau Schif needs prayers as she tries to quit smoking in a week with a program the Elders will help her with. She understands the word of wisdom and can do it :)
The stake had a priesthood meeting Thursday about standing up for what we believe and having courage to do so. The video is awesome:)
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-05-005-dare-to-stand-alone?lang=eng
Another discussion at the same priesthood meeting was about Jesus and the lady who was caught in adultery. When Jesus was asked what to do by the angry pharisees, He gave them the opportunity to cool down a little. This gave Him a chance to ponder and respond. We all can learn from this. Do we jump to conclusions too fast? Do we say something we don't really mean, because we are angry?
Appointments have been moved :( One due to an investigator who had to take her cat to the vet. The crazy thing is, Germans love their cats so much! It's really quite funny. Just not for Elder Hoggan since he discovered that he has a cat allergy :)
For Thanksgiving, Steve's district will have schnitzel, mashed potatoes, vegi's, and pie :) The Elders are keeping the spirit of Thanksgiving going over there! Count your many blessings!
Monday, November 17, 2014
Things are picking up!
Elder Hoggan had a super solid week. He and Elder Jensen are working pretty good together. They are trying to do better and use the Atonement every day.
A zone activity was held and the mission is pushing for unity, to be powerful teachers, and to teach spiritually powerful with simplicity ;) The goal is to have 30 minute lessons at each appointment, give people bite-sized chunks of the gospel, and then meet 2 to 3 times a week. This is proving to be hard, but the missionaries will continue to work on it as they strive to do their best to be better :)
Frau Schif has a baptismal date for December 20th! She didn't read the scripture assigned, but started the Book of Mormon from the beginning and was able to explain perfectly the Tree of Life. She's incredible! Frau Schif is a funny old lady that really likes meeting with Elders Hoggan and Jensen. She wasn't able to make it to church, but is learning about the Word of Wisdom and needs to quit smoking :) Prayers are appreciated!!
Interviews with the mission president were held in Stuttgart on Friday. A member had a question and answer lesson with 5-8 people and invited Elders Hoggan and Jensen to be there. Unfortunately, the trains were having trouble that day due to a World War II bomb discovery that threw off transportation. The member did a good job answering the questions and a future opportunity may occur for the missionaries to meet with them.
These are just a few of the crazy stories and miracles of the week. Elder Hoggan got to talk with Victor from Ingolstadt and it was SO great to hear from him :) Victor is doing well!
A zone activity was held and the mission is pushing for unity, to be powerful teachers, and to teach spiritually powerful with simplicity ;) The goal is to have 30 minute lessons at each appointment, give people bite-sized chunks of the gospel, and then meet 2 to 3 times a week. This is proving to be hard, but the missionaries will continue to work on it as they strive to do their best to be better :)
Frau Schif has a baptismal date for December 20th! She didn't read the scripture assigned, but started the Book of Mormon from the beginning and was able to explain perfectly the Tree of Life. She's incredible! Frau Schif is a funny old lady that really likes meeting with Elders Hoggan and Jensen. She wasn't able to make it to church, but is learning about the Word of Wisdom and needs to quit smoking :) Prayers are appreciated!!
Interviews with the mission president were held in Stuttgart on Friday. A member had a question and answer lesson with 5-8 people and invited Elders Hoggan and Jensen to be there. Unfortunately, the trains were having trouble that day due to a World War II bomb discovery that threw off transportation. The member did a good job answering the questions and a future opportunity may occur for the missionaries to meet with them.
These are just a few of the crazy stories and miracles of the week. Elder Hoggan got to talk with Victor from Ingolstadt and it was SO great to hear from him :) Victor is doing well!
Monday, November 10, 2014
Good things to Come
Elder Hoggan had a pretty solid week with some good adventures. He got to go to Ellwangen on exchange. That's where he was originally going to serve before President called and had him go to Waiblingen instead. Steve's goal was to give out a Book of Mormon while there. He wrote his testimony inside and after a busy day of rushing around the entire time, left that Book of Mormon accidentally on the train. Who knows? Maybe someday someone will get a chance to read it. Let's follow up in the spirit world.
After returning to work with Elder Jensen, Steve's nose began to bleed uncontrollably one night. He thinks the temperature change and lack of drinking water had a lot to do with it. It was the worst bloody nose he's had on his mission.
The Elders met with Frau Schif and had a good lesson on the restoration. They read from Helaman 5:12 and she really liked it! She believes that the Book of Mormon is true and she made it to church on Sunday. She seemed to enjoy all three hours, as did the Familie Boden. Elders Hoggan and Jensen met Herr Boden for the first time. He is super nice :) The Boden's won't be able to meet again with the missionaries until just before Christmas. They are so busy, but there is a lot of potential there!
Dieudonne was given a blessing on Thursday due to not feeling well. The Elders followed up on Saturday with him and he was completely well!!! He was unable to go to church, because he felt sick again. Dieudonne knows the blessing helped him and it was awesome to hear him pray about feeling better.
On the way home, a punk group of kids approached the missionaries and were asking dumb questions as teenagers do. One girl began asking good questions. She was recently in the Dominican Republic with her aunt who is a Mormon :) Her aunt invited her to church, but Mila didn't get the chance to go, so her aunt encouraged her to find the church in Germany. And she did :) That was a cool experience. Mila is really cool and curious about the church!
After returning to work with Elder Jensen, Steve's nose began to bleed uncontrollably one night. He thinks the temperature change and lack of drinking water had a lot to do with it. It was the worst bloody nose he's had on his mission.
The Elders met with Frau Schif and had a good lesson on the restoration. They read from Helaman 5:12 and she really liked it! She believes that the Book of Mormon is true and she made it to church on Sunday. She seemed to enjoy all three hours, as did the Familie Boden. Elders Hoggan and Jensen met Herr Boden for the first time. He is super nice :) The Boden's won't be able to meet again with the missionaries until just before Christmas. They are so busy, but there is a lot of potential there!
Dieudonne was given a blessing on Thursday due to not feeling well. The Elders followed up on Saturday with him and he was completely well!!! He was unable to go to church, because he felt sick again. Dieudonne knows the blessing helped him and it was awesome to hear him pray about feeling better.
On the way home, a punk group of kids approached the missionaries and were asking dumb questions as teenagers do. One girl began asking good questions. She was recently in the Dominican Republic with her aunt who is a Mormon :) Her aunt invited her to church, but Mila didn't get the chance to go, so her aunt encouraged her to find the church in Germany. And she did :) That was a cool experience. Mila is really cool and curious about the church!
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Halloween Week
Halloween isn't super huge in Germany, but is getting bigger. There were a few trick-or-treaters. An upcoming holiday, Fasching, will be celebrated in a few weeks. It is similar to Halloween costumes and dressing up, but doesn't have much to do with candy. Elder Hoggan had a pretty awesome Halloween week!
Elder Mickelson is a new missionary in Steve's district. He is from Lewiston and went to Sky View with Elder Hoggan. It's fun having these two together. At a district lunch, they sang, "Where the mountain peaks meet the starry skies..." :)
Unfortunately, Elder Hoggan was sick last week. He got worn down and suffered from a head cold, sore throat, lack of sleep, and daylight savings.
Dieudonne had an awesome lesson on the Plan of Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He loved it, especially the part about baptism :) Dieudonne listens to a chapter in the Book of Mormon every morning and night. He feels the Spirit and is making great progress to his baptism later this month.
For Halloween, Elder Hoggan went on splits with a member home teaching four families that live an hour away from Waiblingen. Cookies, cake, and more cake were served. One member thought Elder Jensen would also be joining them, so two slices of cake were brought out. "Oh well, you can eat the second one for your companion, right?" And there is Steve's eating adventure for the week.
Elder Jensen was with the Bishop on splits and hit a deer. The police had to come and take care of it. In Germany, things are a bit different than in America :)
The Elders are looking forward to next week. It'll be sweet with new appointments made. A cool guy was met in the S-bahn and William, an investigator, had the number for his friend from Ghana who has been in Stuttgart for 26 years. He refers to himself as the king of Stuttgart and is listed as King Daniel in the missionaries phone. Should be exciting with such a funny guy :)
Elder Hoggan is very appreciative of all the prayers and love sent his way.
Elder Mickelson is a new missionary in Steve's district. He is from Lewiston and went to Sky View with Elder Hoggan. It's fun having these two together. At a district lunch, they sang, "Where the mountain peaks meet the starry skies..." :)
Unfortunately, Elder Hoggan was sick last week. He got worn down and suffered from a head cold, sore throat, lack of sleep, and daylight savings.
Dieudonne had an awesome lesson on the Plan of Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He loved it, especially the part about baptism :) Dieudonne listens to a chapter in the Book of Mormon every morning and night. He feels the Spirit and is making great progress to his baptism later this month.
For Halloween, Elder Hoggan went on splits with a member home teaching four families that live an hour away from Waiblingen. Cookies, cake, and more cake were served. One member thought Elder Jensen would also be joining them, so two slices of cake were brought out. "Oh well, you can eat the second one for your companion, right?" And there is Steve's eating adventure for the week.
Elder Jensen was with the Bishop on splits and hit a deer. The police had to come and take care of it. In Germany, things are a bit different than in America :)
The Elders are looking forward to next week. It'll be sweet with new appointments made. A cool guy was met in the S-bahn and William, an investigator, had the number for his friend from Ghana who has been in Stuttgart for 26 years. He refers to himself as the king of Stuttgart and is listed as King Daniel in the missionaries phone. Should be exciting with such a funny guy :)
Elder Hoggan is very appreciative of all the prayers and love sent his way.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Wunder Woche
Elder Hoggan is great and loving the work in Waiblingen! Things get better day by day and week for week. Halloween is not that far away. Pictures were sent with he and Elder Jensen with their jack-o-lanterns.
Sadly, Frau Dias cancelled last week. There is still a lot of hope for her.
A ton of spaghetti was eaten Tuesday. Elder Hoggan is trying to cut back for his six months to slim plan, but "Who will eat all of this food? Why did I cook so much spaghetti if no one will eat it?" To not make things more uncomfortable for this sister, Steve went to the rescue and ate more.
A lot of schnitzel was consumed on Thursday. A member cooked a HUGE plate and Brother Zelder asked, "Elder, you can eat another piece of schnitzel. I know you can." This member was exercising his faith and it was up to Elder Hoggan to be the miracle! Elder Jensen helped and they gulped down the rest. "But of course you still have room for dessert, right?" No problem :)
Those are the eating adventures of the week!
Elders Hoggan and Jensen are trying to get in contact with more LA's and finish up on a project started with former investigators. They are planning and wanting to be better at more exact obedience. They are buckling down to reach their goal for a baptism in the ward before Christmas. These missionaries are really doing well as far as obedience goes.
Contact was made with Dieudonne Asong. He is the friend of the member from Cameroon. His questions about the Book of Mormon were answered and baptism was discussed. A date has been set for the 29th of November! It's a super great goal for him. Dieudonne made it to church and he loved it. It is an awesome miracle after hard work through the week.
Elders Hoggan and Jensen pray every day to meet their goal of a baptism before Christmas. They can do it :)
It was a miracle week. Missionary work is the best work and brings the most happiness and satisfaction!
Sadly, Frau Dias cancelled last week. There is still a lot of hope for her.
A ton of spaghetti was eaten Tuesday. Elder Hoggan is trying to cut back for his six months to slim plan, but "Who will eat all of this food? Why did I cook so much spaghetti if no one will eat it?" To not make things more uncomfortable for this sister, Steve went to the rescue and ate more.
A lot of schnitzel was consumed on Thursday. A member cooked a HUGE plate and Brother Zelder asked, "Elder, you can eat another piece of schnitzel. I know you can." This member was exercising his faith and it was up to Elder Hoggan to be the miracle! Elder Jensen helped and they gulped down the rest. "But of course you still have room for dessert, right?" No problem :)
Those are the eating adventures of the week!
Elders Hoggan and Jensen are trying to get in contact with more LA's and finish up on a project started with former investigators. They are planning and wanting to be better at more exact obedience. They are buckling down to reach their goal for a baptism in the ward before Christmas. These missionaries are really doing well as far as obedience goes.
Contact was made with Dieudonne Asong. He is the friend of the member from Cameroon. His questions about the Book of Mormon were answered and baptism was discussed. A date has been set for the 29th of November! It's a super great goal for him. Dieudonne made it to church and he loved it. It is an awesome miracle after hard work through the week.
Elders Hoggan and Jensen pray every day to meet their goal of a baptism before Christmas. They can do it :)
It was a miracle week. Missionary work is the best work and brings the most happiness and satisfaction!
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Week in Review
Elder Hoggan had an interesting week and the last couple have taught him humility. He has been praying for his attitude (attribute) and look what happens! Ask and ye shall receive ;) The Lord sticks to His word! Things are going well and there are always beams of sunshine through the clouds of trial and tribulation :)
It wasn't a bad week, this companionship just took a hit. They were under the weather and kind of sick throughout the week. Elder Jensen had a bad headache and was down for a bit. On an exchange, Elder Jensen got faced with something pretty crazy for his first time in the area with a different companion. A member made some mistakes and now Elders Hoggan and Jensen will be working with her to overcome them. She is going through a season of doubts and is not relying on what she knows to be true. At least she is willing to push through even though her boyfriend is moving in with her. The good news here is that Katrin wants the missionaries to teach him.
The Elders got to know a few members a lot better! There are some pretty cool members in the ward and relationships are improving while support is gaining :) The Waiblingen ward is great!
Elders Hoggan and Jensen helped a member move last Saturday. Elder Jensen is a beast! he was lifting things like no other. He may be short, but that guy packs a punch! It was great to help out and get some good service in. Moving is always one of the more popular modes of service for missionaries ;)
Sammy is the coolest investigator and lives on the same street as the missionaries. He's been reading in the Book of Mormon and made it to church on Sunday! He seemed to enjoy the meetings so hopefully he'll be back next week.
Frau Dias appointment is Tuesday, October 21. She is super nice and is interested in the gospel message. Prayers need to be in her behalf. She has a lot of potential :)
Contact was made with the Familie Boden. They are super cool. Herr Boden isn't a member, but his wife is. She's from Brazil and has recently returned from vacationing there. The Elders hope to meet with Herr Boden and help him progress in the gospel. They haven't met him yet, but have heard awesome things about him :)
Horse burgers were eaten which was an interesting experience. Elder Hoggan doesn't have too much of a desire to do that again, that's for sure. It wasn't that bad, haha.
This next week is going to be amazing :) Steve just knows it!
It wasn't a bad week, this companionship just took a hit. They were under the weather and kind of sick throughout the week. Elder Jensen had a bad headache and was down for a bit. On an exchange, Elder Jensen got faced with something pretty crazy for his first time in the area with a different companion. A member made some mistakes and now Elders Hoggan and Jensen will be working with her to overcome them. She is going through a season of doubts and is not relying on what she knows to be true. At least she is willing to push through even though her boyfriend is moving in with her. The good news here is that Katrin wants the missionaries to teach him.
The Elders got to know a few members a lot better! There are some pretty cool members in the ward and relationships are improving while support is gaining :) The Waiblingen ward is great!
Elders Hoggan and Jensen helped a member move last Saturday. Elder Jensen is a beast! he was lifting things like no other. He may be short, but that guy packs a punch! It was great to help out and get some good service in. Moving is always one of the more popular modes of service for missionaries ;)
Sammy is the coolest investigator and lives on the same street as the missionaries. He's been reading in the Book of Mormon and made it to church on Sunday! He seemed to enjoy the meetings so hopefully he'll be back next week.
Frau Dias appointment is Tuesday, October 21. She is super nice and is interested in the gospel message. Prayers need to be in her behalf. She has a lot of potential :)
Contact was made with the Familie Boden. They are super cool. Herr Boden isn't a member, but his wife is. She's from Brazil and has recently returned from vacationing there. The Elders hope to meet with Herr Boden and help him progress in the gospel. They haven't met him yet, but have heard awesome things about him :)
Horse burgers were eaten which was an interesting experience. Elder Hoggan doesn't have too much of a desire to do that again, that's for sure. It wasn't that bad, haha.
This next week is going to be amazing :) Steve just knows it!
Monday, October 13, 2014
My Week
Elder Hoggan had another interesting week in Germany! It was full of a few super awesome things and some that are starting to become normal, but the work is moving forward and the missionaries are staying positive!
A cool opportunity arose last Tuesday when the Elders ate lunch with a member family. The father is LA, the mother and her sons are active in the church. The mom had the idea that the boys, both teenagers, should get blessings for the upcoming school year. After eating, Elder Hoggan had the chance to give Max a blessing and Elder Jensen gave Tobias one. This was Elder Jensen's first comfort blessing and was a good experience for him :) A better relationship is being built with this family. Tobias plays ping pong and basketball, so Elder Hoggan is going to take him on sometime soon :) Germany vs. USA! Steve will try his best to represent his country.
Wednesday was an adventure indeed. There were two options. First, visit an old referral who most likely has no interest in the missionaries message and then catch a bus in five minutes. Two, stay and not do the other things planned. The Elders went with the first and booked it up to this man's house only to find that he wasn't interested in the gospel. (He better come around someday! ;) ) Elders Hoggan and Jensen raced back to the bus stop with time to spare. All of this was done with a plate of cookies in Steve's backpack :) Those went to the ward mission leader later. Only he can't eat cookies. His family could though, so it's all good! A lesson was not taught to the old referral, but the ward mission leader relationship is building :)
Thursday was the coolest day of the week. Their zone met in Stuttgart at 8 a.m. and were off for Munich at 10:30 a.m. for zone conference. It was great to see everyone. Elder Hoggan got a picture will all of his sons :) He has trained three missionaries. It was nice to return to the "homeland" where Elder Hoggan served for a year and a half and had zone meetings. The missionaries learned about the Gathering of Israel and Planning and Setting Goals. This mission has a goal to get one baptism in every ward/branch before the end of the year. Fasting took place on Sunday and now the work begins! Elders Hoggan and Jensen will do their best and hopefully be able to reach it. With God, nothing is impossible, right? :)
Cleaning the church took place on Saturday. It is the biggest building that Elder Hoggan has attended in Germany. It took three hours or more, but it is a really great privilege to do things like that.
For Halloween, homemade sugar cookies will be baked with frosting made from scratch. These will be delivered to special families!
A cool opportunity arose last Tuesday when the Elders ate lunch with a member family. The father is LA, the mother and her sons are active in the church. The mom had the idea that the boys, both teenagers, should get blessings for the upcoming school year. After eating, Elder Hoggan had the chance to give Max a blessing and Elder Jensen gave Tobias one. This was Elder Jensen's first comfort blessing and was a good experience for him :) A better relationship is being built with this family. Tobias plays ping pong and basketball, so Elder Hoggan is going to take him on sometime soon :) Germany vs. USA! Steve will try his best to represent his country.
Wednesday was an adventure indeed. There were two options. First, visit an old referral who most likely has no interest in the missionaries message and then catch a bus in five minutes. Two, stay and not do the other things planned. The Elders went with the first and booked it up to this man's house only to find that he wasn't interested in the gospel. (He better come around someday! ;) ) Elders Hoggan and Jensen raced back to the bus stop with time to spare. All of this was done with a plate of cookies in Steve's backpack :) Those went to the ward mission leader later. Only he can't eat cookies. His family could though, so it's all good! A lesson was not taught to the old referral, but the ward mission leader relationship is building :)
Thursday was the coolest day of the week. Their zone met in Stuttgart at 8 a.m. and were off for Munich at 10:30 a.m. for zone conference. It was great to see everyone. Elder Hoggan got a picture will all of his sons :) He has trained three missionaries. It was nice to return to the "homeland" where Elder Hoggan served for a year and a half and had zone meetings. The missionaries learned about the Gathering of Israel and Planning and Setting Goals. This mission has a goal to get one baptism in every ward/branch before the end of the year. Fasting took place on Sunday and now the work begins! Elders Hoggan and Jensen will do their best and hopefully be able to reach it. With God, nothing is impossible, right? :)
Cleaning the church took place on Saturday. It is the biggest building that Elder Hoggan has attended in Germany. It took three hours or more, but it is a really great privilege to do things like that.
For Halloween, homemade sugar cookies will be baked with frosting made from scratch. These will be delivered to special families!
Monday, October 6, 2014
Weekly Report!
Elder Hoggan's week was a rough journey, but got a lot better and now things are looking up :)
Friday was a holiday to celebrate that East Germany and West Germany became one - Tag der Deutschen Einheit. Unlike our Independence Day, they do things quite differently. There are no fireworks, no giant grill parties, or too many patriotic songs. It is considered a day off and everyone hides in their homes. This makes missionary work pretty difficult. A member family hung out with the Elders and that was a ton of fun :) The missionaries are really trying to work on getting better relationships going with the church members there and it is starting to pay off.
Elders Hoggan and Jensen are currently teaching a friend of a newly baptized member. His name is Asong Dieudonne (Ash-shawn Jew-nee). He is from Cameroon and is super cool. They had an awesome lesson and talked about, and watched, the Restoration movie. Asong said the most amazing prayer at the end of the lesson and has sincere desires to follow Christ and to read in the Book of Mormon.
General Conference was definitely the best part of Elder Hoggan's week :) He really enjoyed the talks from Tad Callister, President Uchtdorf, and Elder Christofferson. Elder Callister suggests that young men should start praying for a wife now.... :) It is a good idea and he is going to start praying for the upcoming things in the future :)
Elder Hoggan sends his love in closing. He will soon be returning to his homeland, not America, but Bayern/Bavaria. The missionaries are headed to Munich for a Zone Conference on Thursday. He will send a picture of all of his sons together :)
Friday was a holiday to celebrate that East Germany and West Germany became one - Tag der Deutschen Einheit. Unlike our Independence Day, they do things quite differently. There are no fireworks, no giant grill parties, or too many patriotic songs. It is considered a day off and everyone hides in their homes. This makes missionary work pretty difficult. A member family hung out with the Elders and that was a ton of fun :) The missionaries are really trying to work on getting better relationships going with the church members there and it is starting to pay off.
Elders Hoggan and Jensen are currently teaching a friend of a newly baptized member. His name is Asong Dieudonne (Ash-shawn Jew-nee). He is from Cameroon and is super cool. They had an awesome lesson and talked about, and watched, the Restoration movie. Asong said the most amazing prayer at the end of the lesson and has sincere desires to follow Christ and to read in the Book of Mormon.
General Conference was definitely the best part of Elder Hoggan's week :) He really enjoyed the talks from Tad Callister, President Uchtdorf, and Elder Christofferson. Elder Callister suggests that young men should start praying for a wife now.... :) It is a good idea and he is going to start praying for the upcoming things in the future :)
Elder Hoggan sends his love in closing. He will soon be returning to his homeland, not America, but Bayern/Bavaria. The missionaries are headed to Munich for a Zone Conference on Thursday. He will send a picture of all of his sons together :)
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