Many Cats and Great Things...

Hey everyone!

Arancini with President and Sister Allen

 I am writing this while Anziano Simmons drives us along Lake Lecco to the famous small town of Bellagio. It's a pretty sketchy drive, and I'll be driving on the way back! I'm always so impressed at how many beautiful places Italy is full of.

Where Lake Como and Lecco meet

Lecco

 This week we held down the fort in the office while president and the others were at conferences. We did an exchange on Tuesday and I went to Pavia which is a super traditional Italian town, a lot like Lodi where work. There is a member who lives there that sells cats and she owns about 20...Yes, we visited her and I got to play with more cats than I would ever imagine. She hasn't been to church in a while but she seemed to really open up. It was so cool because it seemed like she would listen to me very carefully because she appreciated the fact that I loved cats too haha.

Thursday night Anziano Simmons and I went to Crema to do some finding which at first wasn't going too great until the very last person we contacted. He was super legit and wanted to meet with us again but unfortunately the number he gave us wasn't active. We really hope he gives us a call!

Pavia

On Friday we went to Lodi with President and Sorella Allen to talk to Choice and Charles who are getting baptized this Thursday! They are such awesome people who have very interesting stories and strong testimonies of the church. Afterwards, we got lunch with President and Sister Allen! We were in the car with them for a while and it was such an awesome experience to talk to them about tons of interesting things.

 Last week I watched the face to face session with President Eyring and Elder Holland which was mostly about prayer and receiving answers to our prayers. At the very end, President Eyring gave a very powerful testimony about the fact the we have a living, and loving Heavenly Father. His testimony hit me very hard. I really felt in my heart that everything he said was 100% true. I was very grateful for that experience. When we listen intently with an open heart, the spirit really can testify to us the truth of all things. Most importantly, we need to pray; because a real, loving Heavenly Father is on the other side ready to hear us. We can know if we just ask. I love you all so insanely much!

Have an awesome week!

Willy

March Madness

Hello fam friends and peeps out there!

Root Beer and Gelato:  yessssssss

 Im trying to think of email openings other than "this week was super crazy and busy!" But its just so hard not to say that because it's always true.

Boggi

 

My Boggi purchases

 We went into Milano last Pday and last Tuesday for a Zone Conference which was really awesome and spiritual.

Our Zone

 

 Most of this week I have been just doing my normal mission office duties along with the awesome opportunities we still have to go out and do missionary work. It's funny because with my job I get talk to the Church Mission offices in Salt Lake every few days about new Apps and issues of tablets, IPads, etc. This week we sent in a request to the Area Presidency for some things that in our opinion would open up a new door to missionary work in Italy. I love doing this kind of work and Its such a blessing to be able to do it as a missionary.

The Ruiz Diaz family.  The last family I saw before I went home last year.  Cool right?

 This was the first week in my entire mission that I was fed 5 days in a row by members. I LOVE the Lodi ward and the people here. There is a member named Lilly who we just decided to give a box of Books of Mormon to because she always gives them out.

 We are now teaching a young 9 year old who wants to get baptized. He is such a stud and is super excited to come to church and be a good example to his family. He is the son of a member who just recently started coming back to church. Honestly we have seen some pretty great things recently that have been a blessing to the work.

A random city in our area with a super awesome church

 I've been listening to lots of conference talks this week and it seems like I've come across lots of talks about the importance of the scriptures. In a talk from Elder Scott he says, "Scriptures are like
packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high. They can become the key to open the channel to communion with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ." The scriptures were written for us and for our benefit. Without them I'd honestly be lost and so would the world. I know that the scriptures are one of our main sources of answers to our prayers.

Carnivale festa!

 

Papa a la huancaina!

 Thanks for your support and love. Have a awesome week. Don't forget to pick up and read the scriptures!

 Love, Willy

Ciao!!

Hey Family and friends!

Avocados!

The Barbone Family
 

 It seems like time here in Lodi and the office moves quicker than at any other point of my life. Maybe that's just what happens when you get older in the mission, or maybe just life in general haha. Really though it was another awesome week here, as usual. Anziano Simmons and I continuing to help keep the mission afloat buying tickets, solving problems, making orders etc. It really is a team effort working with the President, Senior couples, and all other missionaries, we just play our part to help this work move forward.

Duomo

 Anziano Simmons and I, both being from Orange County, decided to buy some California-like Avocados! We ate them and we celebrated the fact that we are companions and from the same place. We did some good service this week helping members and missionaries move furniture. A family from England moved into the apartment across from us and we helped them move in. We've just been constantly trying to do service for them and they have really become good friend of ours.

A normal thing to find in Milano

 Last Sunday was pretty special because I gave a talk on the topic of the simplicity of the Gospel. It went really well! This week I was also able to finish the Book of Mormon again. I completely agree with what Joseph Smith said in the introduction that it is the "keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” I have learned many things from my mission, but one of the things I am most grateful for is learning for myself the meaning of what Joseph Smith said. My goal is to help others discover the same thing. I really love you all!

Have an awesome week.

Festive Week!

Hey everyone!

Anziano Thomson...my future roommate at BYU

 It was a great week full of lots of hard work and festivities. I want to thank everyone who wished me a happy birthday! This birthday was as good as a birthday could get on a mission. It started off with a super solid church meeting with some of my favorite members. When we walked into the church, this amazing member named Lilly came right up to me and said "Anziano Hogan aguri e buon compleanno!!" That made my year. She invited us over for a birthday lunch and we ate sooo much good Peruvian food. At the end, she gave me a piece of banana cake that was literally bigger than my face.

They put balloons on my desk!

The Diaz family who game me a huge lunch and I love them because they have an awesome cat!

 We had an awesome lesson later that day with a super great Filipino family we found doing passbys the other week. They all want to come back to church and the non member husband wants to start taking the lessons!  Later that night, the whole office threw me a little birthday party. Sorella Hoopes made me her special banana cream pie, which made me almost cry it was so good. It was my third cake of the day but it was so worth it.

Sorella Hoopes

As a birthday present, I got a pillow that had cats all over it, thanks to my awesome companion Anziano Simmons and the help of President's wife.

Yay!!

 On Valentine's Day, the Hoopes senior couple made biscuits and gravy and we had an office breakfast with President and his wife!

Anziano Minnoch and me!

Anziano Simmons - my great companion at the Duomo!

 I have been reflecting a ton this week on the talk given by Elder Uchtdorf "It works Wonderfully". The simple truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ sometimes can be overlooked as we focus too much on the complicated things that don't matter as much. As Elder Uchtdorf said in his talk "This beautiful gospel is so simple a child can grasp it, yet so profound and complex that it will take a lifetime--even an eternity--of study and discovery to fully understand it." We need to focus on what matters most and accept that we won't come to know everything in this life.
I know this is Gospel is true, and it sure does changes lives.

Lodi

I love you all. Have the best week.

Busier than Ever!

Ciao everyone!

An arancino!  My favorite Italian Food!

 

Pday Calcio!

 I know every single week I say it was busier than ever but this week topped all of those weeks off. Apart from our duties here in the office, we take care of the arriving new missionaries and the
departing old missionaries all within 3 days! It was so awesome greeting the new incoming fresh missionaries and seeing their excitement to serve in Italy for the next 2 years! It was also a cool
experience to compare the new missionaries who have 2 years ahead of them and the missionaries who have served for 2 years. The sisters from my MTC district were part of the going home group so that was a sad goodbye. We definitely didn't get a ton of sleep the last few days but it was such a blast. Anziano Simmons and I love the office and all its craziness. We also still cant get over the fact that we are companions and we were friends before the mission!!!

Ruiz diaz family

 

The Rodriguez Family...so awesome!

 
We had some great lessons this week and some awesome tender mercies happen. While we were at the airport, a guy came up to me and the President's wife, telling us that he printed one of the first hymn books in Italian 30 some years ago and he wants to meet with missionaries!

A family in our ward pranks every missionary that leaves the city and they accidentally got flower in the car  hahahaha...

We have some great people we are working with who should be getting baptized in a couple weeks. The office is a busy place but it's still missionary work and I love helping all the missionaries in the mission. When we go outside to do things I'm more driven to talk to more people because I love that kind of missionary work. I know that this church is true without a doubt and I love seeing it change lives! It's seriously the best, every time I read the Book of Mormon I feel SO much better. That's because the Book is true.

I love what I'm doing out here, I love where I live, I love the people. Have the best week and Happy Valentine's Day!





Transfers and Awesomeness

Hello everyone!

My new zone

It was a great week here in the office getting ready for the upcoming transfers. It is so cool how close we get to work with President Allen. I never thought I would be able to work with someone so spiritual and warm hearted as he is. We went bowling with him and everyone else in the office which was super fun.

It seems like with President's wife and the office senior couple always around, you're always able to find fresh muffins or cookies in the kitchen haha.

It is a blast with Anziano Simmons and Anderson.  Anziano Anderson has been doing a great job training me on everything I manage for the mission. It really is different from normal missionary life but we are still doing missionary work, just a different kind of missionary work.

The office is 30 minutes away from our assigned city which is a change for me but our Heavenly Father still blesses us with people to meet and people to find. Sunday is the full day we get to work there! 

Pday lunch at the president's house

On Sunday, a member in our ward who is from Peru, fed us lunch and then after, walked around the city with us to visit all the people she gave copies of the Book of Mormon to. Then we walked into an old folks home and she had us greet almost every single disabled senior there. Everyone was smiling and some were even crying at the site of 3 young missionaries smiling and greeting everyone. I have never met someone so Christlike than this member here in Lodi. We also had an. We are teaching a few awesome people from Nigeria who love the gospel and should be getting baptized soon. I really love this country and the people here. I know without a doubt that this church is true, I'm so
stoked to be out here! 

Have the best week!

Love you all!
-Anziano Hogan

The Monza Villa

Google glasses virtual tour of the Villa

Baptism and Transfer

Ciao cari!

 Mi mancate! Sono proprio felice qua.

This week Marco was baptized!!! His wife and two kids were there and the room was completely packed. It was definitely one of the most rewarding moments of my entire mission. His wife is a member from Ecuador and she was the one who originally introduced him to the church. In one of the very first lessons we had, Marco promised his wife that they would get married in the temple.

 I'm eternally grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Marcos life and baptism!

 This last Saturday I got a new assignment from President Allen to be the new mission Clerk. I will be companions with Anziano Simmons (who is from the Laguna Niguel stake!!!) and together we are basically the nerds who deal with the mission cars, charts, finances etc. We work most of the day in the office while still working with the ward of Lodi, Milano. I hear they are a killer ward with awesome families. Its definitely a huge change to my normal missionary life but I really look forward to it.

 It is sad to be leaving this place!! I feel like whichever city I go to, I join a new family and make friends that I'll never forget. I'll miss it but I have a super good excuse now to come back and visit. I
sure learned a lot here and I had a great time with Anziano Bruggeman. In this city I've learned a lot about the importance of love. It is the most powerful tool to making this world a better place and helping others become happier. I really love you all and I'm enjoying everything I doing here.

 In the office our pdays are usually Saturdays but sometimes Wednesday.
My new address is:
Via Antonio Gramsci 13/2
20090 Opera MI
Italia

Snow!!!!

Selfie on the tram!

I drew a snow cat!

Snow!

January 18, 2017

Another week in such a great part of the world. This week it snowed which was super cool! also freezing cold. I've gotten like a hundred comments from people who laugh at how I'm from California and I'm here in the cold. It's honestly so great here despite the challenges. Very often we are lead to certain places and people at just the right moments. We are always able to find tender mercies, and that is because the work we are doing is true.

 On Thursday we traveled to Pordenone to do an exchange and help them out a bit. The next day we did another exchange with the elders from Vicenza which was a blast because that's when it dumped Snow!

 In Italy there are huge sales going on right now, so Anziano Bruggeman and I used that as an excuse to buy new Italian suits. They look great by the way. We will wear them tomorrow for our zone conference and take some pictures don't worry!

 I think it's so awesome how much I learn out here. I am so grateful I have chosen to serve a mission. Unfortunately some people think that missions make us miss out on life and waste time, but it's
sort of the opposite. I've done more, seen more, and learned more than I ever would have if I were to have stayed home. I'm grateful for every moment of it. This weekend, Marco is getting baptized! He has the best little family in the world. Him and his wife want to get married in the temple next year which makes me so insanely happy. I love you all.

Anziano Hogan