Plan of Salvation

Hey guys,

 

Its scary how fast the time moves by. I have never liked a city as much as Bologna!! 

All is well in the apartment of four. The first week was pretty hard trying to split the work between us four but now it seems like everything is back to normal. Its honestly a totally different experience but we are all like best friends so its awesome. We all got anklets on Pday so you could say we all get along.

 

We have had tons of rain and thunder in the last week. Its starting to get cold!!

 

This week was super sweet. We had some really solid lessons and just overall good work. 

  

Anziano Minnoch and me

 On Saturday we helped our Bishop move into his sweet house, which looks a lot like a museum. He put us in contact with one of his friends who is interested in the Book of Mormon. I love seeing the members doing the best they can in helping us with the work.

 

 

 

I was finally able to organize a Plan of Salvation display in downtown Bologna last Sunday afternoon. It blew our minds how successful it was. I drew everything out with chalk and it was so cool to see how interested people were. We talked to so many people. It is definitely something we want to do every Sunday if we can.  

The Plan of Salvation display

 

 

 

 

On Tuesday we had a zone training at the Mestre chapel where we learned lots of things and carved some pumpkins! I haven't carved a pumpkin in a while so that was super fun.

The Venice Zone

 

 

San Luca Basilica

 

 

At the beginning of the world's longest covered walkway to the San Luca church

 

 

 

 

Something we talked about a ton in zone training was the idea of consecration. What it means, and how we can apply it. Being consecrated is giving your ALL towards a certain purpose or goal. A mission is the best for you and the people the more consecrated you are. I try my best, I am really happy here, things are crazy busy and I love it.

 

 

I love all of you!

 Ciao cari 

-Anziano Hogan 

Craziness and miracles

Hey fam and friends! 
This was the most busy and insane week ever! The weather here literally switched from super hot to cold within just a day so that was something interesting. 
 On Thursday the new Elders got here in Bologna and we helped them move into our apartment. We spent a good while building new beds and dressers and in the end everyone was situated. The new elders here are Anziano Jensen and Anziano Young from Utah. They are super great and fun to live with.   We have had to split the work between us four and it has pushed us all to hit the streets with more of a desire to find more people to teach and its been working! Some really sweet things have happened to us in the last week. 

The new district.  The guy in back making a weird face is Anziano Jensen whom I live with...

Church on Sunday was crazy as always because now there are 6 missionaries in one small ward so I think the members are loving it. 

Saying goodbye to Sister Taylor

We have done lots of finding and door knocking which has brought us a couple new people to teach. While Anziano Minnoch and I were doing door knocking in an 8 story building we finally got let in by a super nice Nigerian family. We are seeing them again this week so that was all a miracle. 
We had such an amazing lesson the other day with Salvatore. His desire to be baptized is so strong but unfortunately he is held back by his addiction to cigarettes. This member we brought with us used to smoke 3 packets each day but quit completely in one day after having fasted and prayed and received a testimony of the church. Salvatore is on the same path and we will also fast and pray that he is able to quit. I believe that everything will work out. 

Salvatore and me

There is lots more to talk about but unfortunately there's not much time. I want to share something I've thought about a lot recently. We all have our own cross to bear or rather trail to face. The best thing we can do while facing these very difficult moments is accept it and try our best to choose to be happy. We shouldn't continually ask the "why" but rather the "how" can I take this trail and move on. 

Beautiful Bologna

I love my savior and I love teaching others about Him. This church is true everybody! 
Love all of you

Very Busy!!

Ciao a tutti!!!

It is Crazy that I'm emailing again. Sometimes I wish things could slow down because it's all going by too fast. The weather is cooling down and Bologna is still it's awesome self. We got transfer news and 2 elders are moving into our apartment. It's been a crazy crazy few days getting ready for the 2 elders coming because we don't have enough beds, dressers etc. I'm excited for the craziness though.

Busy, Busy Bologna

Some really cool things happened this week. After English class last Thursday, a guy named William walked in and asked to learn more about us. We taught him the restoration of the Gospel and about the Book of Mormon. Things like this rarely happen to us!

Eating FuFu

African Food

Another awesome miracle was running into a guy I had met on the bus a few weeks ago. When we had met a few weeks ago he was giving me his phone number but had to get off the bus for his stop. Well last week we felt like we should go to this one bus stop and got on the first bus that came and he was on it. We talked and got his number and we should meet this week. 

The windows were green! The piazza is so beautiful!

We were able to watch 3 sessions of conference and I loved it all so much. One of my favorites was the talk by Elder Cook of the 12 apostles. He talked about the stumbling blocks that confuse us and keep us from being valiant. The 5 main stumbling blocks he mentioned were:
1. The philosophies of men (People believing more in Man than in the Savior and His teachings)
2. Choosing to have no religion
3. Giving up before holding out to the end
4. Refusing to acknowledge sin in its true light
5. Looking beyond the mark (Taking gospel teachings to the extreme and not seeing the big picture)
One of the last things he said was "stumbling blocks can be made into stepping stones" We can either let a stumbling block knock us down or we can rise above it and become even better.
The world is changing every minute and we need to always remember who we are and what we stand for. I love being here and I love what I am teaching other people. I know it is true!
 Love you all!!

BAPTISM

Hey everyone!!!

This might have been one of the busiest weeks of my mission but it was GOOD! Anziano Minnoch and I had a baptism for Austin last Friday night and the Sisters had a baptism for a woman named Loredana on Saturday! Lots of members 2 of our investigators came to the baptisms and they really enjoyed it. Salvatore, someone we having been teaching for a little while, told me he is looking forward to be baptized this October. I'm looking forward to it too. 

 

Baptism for Austin

 

Such a great night!

Transfer calls are this weekend but me and Anziano Minnoch are certain we will stay with each other in Bologna which I'm super happy about. It doesn't get better than Bologna. 

 

We are teaching two people in the library.

 

This awesome week started with going up to Venice on Wednesday and Thursday to do an exchange with the elders up there. We had an appointment that was in Chioggia which is literally a costal city. It was the first time ever seeing an Italian beach!!! There were actually tiny rideable waves haha. Right when we got to back to Bologna, we went straight to work getting ready for the 2 baptisms. Everything worked out so great in the end and the spirit was so strong. 

 

Chioggia Beach - I didn't go on the sand, as tempting as it was.

 

 

 

It makes me pretty darn happy to see the effect the mission can have on another peoples lives. Missionary work in general can seriously change someone's life and yours as well. If you had a bunch of cookies you would want to share them with someone else wouldn't you?! The only difference is this is way better than any cookie. It is awesome to have this chance to be a missionary 24/7 because there aren't too many things out in the world that are as fulfilling as this. I know it is true and I am happy to give 2 years to help people know it as well. Nothing makes me happier. I love you all!

PS:  I hope everyone enjoys watching conference this weekend! I can't wait.
 

 

Me doing some missionary work on the bus

 

Sisters got this picture of me talking to a guy on the bus.

 

Elder Holland

Ciao cari amici!

Venice

 Mamma mia this week was a whirlwind and one that I'll never forget. We travelled so much and got tons of things done! It's great serving with Anziano Minnoch. We are having such a good time here in Bologna! We took a trip up to Venice for Pday today and it was super fun as always.

 

Pizza next to the Venetian Canal

 

Beautiful Venice

President Allen and his wife came here to teach with us and interview Austin for his baptism this Friday! The Allens are honestly the best. 

The sisters passed us 2 awesome people that we are now teaching. One guy is from Peru and the other is from Persia. I'm excited to see how things go with them.

 

On Sunday the whole Milano mission traveled to Milan to meet Elder Holland, one of the 12 apostles. Before the meeting began he shook all of our hands which was so cool. He didn't stand up at the pulpit to talk to us, instead he walked around which made it a much more spiritual and personal experience.

 He touched a lot on the importance of obedience and having the spirit in our efforts to find people. He said that obedience isn't just the first law of Heaven, but also the first law of everything. One thing he said about the spirit was "You can't see the spirit but you can see the effect. You can't see wind but you can see it shake the leaves." That is so true. You can't really describe what the spirit looks like but you know it's there and you can see it positively effect people's lives. The spirit is real and obedience allows it to be more present in our lives. 

Gelato with Jerry

 

My trainer and my trainee.  It's the whole family!

 

Part of the August 2015 MTC zone!

 

It is the most awesome thing in the world to teach people and see them turn their lives around. I love how this gospel doesn't just give people the hope to become better, it actually provides a way for people to become the best. 

  

I love you all so much! Ciao!!

  

-Anziano Hogan 

Miracle, Happy, hard work=joy

 Cari Miei!!
 

Cat cup with cat = nothing better!

 

 I hope everyone is doing well and happy to be back at school! Today school starts for all the kids here in Bologna. Honestly, life couldn't be better in the best city of Italy. Anziano Minnoch and I are having so much fun working hard and enjoying the great work we are doing. You would all laugh at how much pasta, pizza, and gelato we eat almost everyday haha.

 I'm actually relieved summer is over because everybody's normal life routine is back into swing so it will make missionary work a bit less challenging.

 This last week was busy, fun, and full of great experiences. Last Thursday we had a new missionary training in Milano which was super fun. I really genuinely respect and love President and Sister
Allen for so many reasons. They really are some of the nicest and most loving people.

On Sunday, one of the coolest miracles happened to our district. A woman and her husband came to church for the first time in a little while. The wife said she had been taught everything by missionaries a few years ago and wants to be baptized. It was a pretty cool miracle for the sisters, our district, and the ward! That means we will be having 2 baptisms as a district on the 24th of September!

New missionary training

 

 We are teaching a guy named Max, who had been taught by the missionaries in Bologna 3 years ago. He found us on the street and he told us that he knows the church is true and the Book of Mormon is something that has changed his life. What is interesting is that he used to be a catholic priest. We will see him again this week and we are excited to see what happens.

 I read something really nice in the scriptures this morning in Alma 31. While Alma and the other missionaries were trying to teach about Jesus Christ they ran into lots of challenges. Despite these trials, "Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ." I really liked how it said that their afflictions we "swallowed up in the joy of Christ." To me that just means when we are in the service of others, doing the work of the Savior, our worries and problems become less burdensome. I've seen that countless times in the mission! I love you all and hope you have the best week!

All you can eat sushi!

 Ps. This Sunday we get to meet Elder Holland and I am so excited!!!!!!!

How could I refuse to buy this shirt?

 

Shoes I'm going to buy

GREAT WEEK!

Hey everybody,

Gelato with Austin!  He is getting baptized this month!

Post power hour gelato

Gelato with Jerry (a member)

 Like most of the weeks here in the mission, this one was great. I seriously mean it when I say, I would not want to be in any other place doing any other thing than what I'm doing right now. It's the best. Anziano Minnoch and I have been doing lots of busy work each day which makes us crash hard each night, which is the goal.

 A super cool miracle happened last Wednesday night when one of our investigators, Austin, told us that he was ready to be baptized. We have been teaching him for a while and he is seriously one of the most humble, kind, spiritual guys ever. His baptism is for the 24th of September! I've leaned that humility plays a huge part in the conversion of the people we teach. We see lots of times that the humble seek for the truth more often than those who are prideful.

While we were walking in downtown Bologna and this Italian guy waved at us so we turned around and talked to him. It turns out he was taught by the missionaries years ago and wants to meet with us again! His name is Max and we will teach him this Friday.

I am really grateful for the mission. I remember a testimony given by a missionary several months ago who said "the mission is really the most selfish thing we could do because of all the blessing we receive in return." I know that sounds weird but it's actually true. To some people, the mission can seem like a long grueling 2 years of selfless work for other people but really it is 2 years for us to learn, grow, and be happier than we have ever been before. The key to being happy is being selfless. Helping other people and seeing them become happy through your own efforts brings the best feeling in the world. I know I've definitely already received a lot more in return than what I have given. This church is true and I love this!

After a good lesson with Salvatore, one of our investigators

The California missionaries  ha ha

The August 2015 MTC crew (just some of us)

A training meeting with President and his wife.

 Love,
Anziano Hogan

Ps. Elder Holland is coming to speak to us in 2 weeks!