Venice-Mestre

Buona Settimana di ringraziamento!!

Probably one of the most insanely crazy busy weeks of my mission!

Anziano Bruggeman and I both arrived in Mestre on 
Thursday and had to just read what the other missionaries left us and go from there. We have a sweet bright red Toyota Yaris which is great. We also have the stake center here so it is the biggest ward I've been in yet. 

Day in Venice

On Friday we were making lots of calls and a part member family invited us over and they treated us like their own! The dad, who isn't a member, is a chef in Venice and he made us food that made me cry a little bit. They came to church on Sunday!! 

On Saturday I was given the opportunity to travel down back to Bologna to baptize Salvatore, the man I found in the park back in August. Such a huge blessing.

We are so busy here in Mestre, Anziano Bruggeman and I have a lot more responsibility up here but we are having a blast. I'm so excited to work here and get close to the Venetians.

I am looking forward to Thanksgiving! I have so many things to be
grateful for, it wouldn't be possible to write them all down. One of
them would be my mission, I wouldn't be the person I am now without
these last 15 months. I am also thankful for my savior Jesus Christ.
His sacrifice has made so many things possible for us. I am thankful
for all of you! I love you all and hope you have a great week.

Anziano Hogan

Miracle of my mission and moving to Venice - Mestre

It feels good to be writing you guys again even though It feels like I wrote you all yesterday!



Visiting the Ducati Factory!



 

Believe it or not, this is in downtown Bologna
 
 

Life has been great. The 3 elders I have been living with are like best friends to me. We laugh our heads off every time we are together. Yesterday Anziano Jensen picked up a pigeon, just an example of his wildness. Its great and I am sad to leave!

I have been in this city for 6 months and it has become such a huge part of who I am. I will never forget the people, the experiences, nor the food! Transfers are happening this week. Anziano Minnoch, whom I just trained, is going to train a new missionary next transfer, which
is the first time that's happened in this mission in a long time. I have been called to go to Mestre, which is where Venice is!! Who would have thought.. I hope to make any difference I can to this new city.

Benjamino: an awesome member!

Last dinner with Erica and Giuseppe

Another mostra!

 These last several days have been some of the best days of the misison. My great friend Max was baptized this last Saturday. I will be surprised If I will ever meet someone with a more amazing
conversion story than his. As I mentioned in other letters, Max served as a Catholic Priest for more than 10 years, and has been given a few very tough trails in life. About 3 years ago he started reading the Book of Mormon after he met the missionaries on the street. He read the whole thing and gained a testimony of it that he said he would never forget. For two years he stopped meeting with the missionaries because he felt his trail was too much for him. 3 months ago we met him on the street and last weekend he was baptized. I've never prayed harder, worked harder, or felt so inspired for just one person in my entire life. On Friday night, the night before his baptism, we gave him a blessing for a really bad headache he had been dealing with for a few weeks. Immediately after the blessing he said that for the first time in 3 weeks his head had no pain. I know that the priesthood works. That was the first time I was really able to see it work so quickly and swiftly. The next day, President Allen and Sister Allen came to the baptism and everything went perfectly. I am so grateful to have played a part in this whole thing.

Il Battesimo di Max

Last shindig with Max

 Its moments like these that make everything seem more than worth the effort. I love all of you and I cant wait to share with you all my experiences in Venice and Mestre! Have a great week!!

The "funeral" for Sorella Visconti who is going back home to France

Ciao
-Anziano Hogan

New Address- Via Cappuccina 19/F, 30172 Mestre, Italia

The chairs represent how many transfers you have done.  This is the last pic with the Bologna District!

 

Baptisms!

 

This week was great! After a few days we got over whatever we were sick with.

People here do not stop asking us about the elections haha, its pretty funny. It rained a lot and the weather is so cold! But that didn't stop us from having the baptism for my good friend William. He really is such a good and kind person. We played a celebratory game of ping pong with him the other night and he beat all of us. Everything went super well with the baptism and the members sure loved it. He told me how he feels so clean and like a new person ever since. 

 

 

 

Unfortunately my time in Bologna may be winding down. I have been here since May! Transfer calls come this weekend so I will find out where I am going and with who. Next Wednesday I will let you all know! I will never forget this city, the people, and the good and bad, mostly good.

 

Today we went to Venice! Which may be the last time if I get transferred. We walked all around the island just exploring cool streets and finding new things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This weekend we should be having two more baptisms for Max and Salvatore. I pray that everything will work out so that I can see these two men be baptized before I leave this city. The story behind Max is absolutely amazing. Unfortunately I am not able to explain everything here in the email but his baptism would be one of the biggest miracles and blessings of my entire mission. Not to mention the baptism of Salvatore as well. I was doing finding in a park one day in early August when I met a man who was smoking and telling us God doesn't exist. That man was Salvatore, who is about to be baptized and become a member of the Church.

 

 

The power that comes from a testimony of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon can help someone get rid of any addiction, or bad habit. It truly is real and powerful. I have seen it first hand. Vi voglio bene, buona settimana!

Dio ci ama! 

Our Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Ciao everybody!

I hope everyone had a great Halloween! I was surprised to see how many people were celebrating it here. Sadly, the day after, my companion and I woke up super sick so we stayed in all day and all day today as well. I hope we can get better asap because being sick on the mission isn't very fun. There were 2 earthquakes last week but we are totally okay! We felt the one on Sunday and it was super scary. We are on the 6th floor and everything was rolling back and forth. We are alive!!! No need to worry.

On Friday, me and Anziano Minnoch, along with 16 other missionaries including the mission president and his wife, went to Ferrara to do a full day of finding. It was a pretty sweet experience, and at the end of the day we had a testimony meeting and dinner with the branch members. In total everyone taught 24 people and found 9 new people for the elders to teach. We all fasted the day before and thats probably why we had so much success. 

On Saturday night we had a super awesome ward Halloween party with a haunted house and tons of food! It was also super cool because lots of members brought their friends and we met lots of new people. 

The work here is moving along and we cant wait for our baptisms coming up for Max, Salvatore, and William!

Well the mission is really amazing. There are some days which feel like will never end and most days that feel like it went by too fast. I came across a quote from Elder Holland which reads “There really is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the Light of the World, the Bright and Morning Star, the ‘light that is endless, that can never be darkened’ [Mosiah 16:9]. It is the very Son of God Himself.” In those moments where it feels like a trial will never pass, we must always remember it will and that our Savior is our light at the end of the tunnel. He didn't suffer for just our sins but for all our trials too. This life is a life to be happy! Not sad. I love life and I love all the great things I get to do each day. Have a great week!

-Anziano Hogan