Monday, March 27, 2017

Week 9: Goat Meat

We got an email in voice format this time! 

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Week ??: Goat Meat
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2017 16:02:18 -0500
From: Brett Hogg


These are the picture he sent - and he explains most of them in the message...
The story of Andy's - who came to Milwaukee and learned from Leon!!

Sprecher in Texas!  

Goat Meat (tripe?) stew... 😝

From Brett's email:  Some Columbian empenadas and Arroz con Leche that one of our investigators from Columbia made us, they were amazing, sadly she had to go back to Columbia because she has family over there that were really sick. She's was harder to understand btw. I can't tell if it was her accent or just the way they talk.

Also! We started talking to this guy from Cuba! I can't understand a thing that guy says honestly. 

I really just specialize in Central Americans apparently lol


Dallas Texas LDS Temple
(It's almost exactly the same design as the Chicago temple!)

With Elder Pattee, Elder Finlinson and members on a recent temple trip.

He mentioned Rochester - our cat - who recently got shaved because of fur problems... and the answer is - he's VELVET SOFT.. it's not skin, just like velvet, but softer. He still looks completely hilarious!

 From Mom: It was great to hear his voice! Only 48 days until Mother's Day!

Monday, March 20, 2017

Week 9 (or 10?): A New Roommate (It's actually Week 8)

(It's actually Week 8.)
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Week 9 (or 10?): A New Roommate
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2017 14:53:29 -0500
From: Brett Hogg 

Hey fam!

Sorry the emails have been getting shorter, there's just not much new going on! We were a lot busier last transfer with 5 baptisms. This transfer we've been teaching some lessons but nothing to new. 

This week I did go on 2 different exchanges. Elder Finlinson went to the district leader (Elder B)'s area (the district leader tries to go on exchanges with everyone in the district), and Elder W came to our area. Elder W came out the same transfer I did, and is an English missionary. So! 2 greenies and only one of us spanish, took over the Spanish work for the day. It wasn't so bad, my spanish gets better by the day I think. I was able to pretty much conversate with native speaker by myself, so that was awesome.  (I know, I know... he used the word "conversate"... ugh! haha)

Then I had exchanges with a zone leader, Elder C. He was born in Peru but is from Utah. He's super cool, the only problem is he really likes to go hard, working out in the morning. I'm more of a 5 push-ups kind of guy. lol. He grew up speaking spanish at home he knows way more than I do. He was also really handy, because this week we had 2 people finally show up to our English class! They're both members, and the one is taking his citizenship test, so was practicing his pronunciation and stuff. He also liked helping out at the immigration center, he's not a citizen either! He's got his green card but he's going to take his citizenship test when he gets home. It's a lot harder for South Americans to get here illegally. As a general rule, illegals are Mexicans, Guatemalans, Hondurans and Salvadoreños. Everywhere else you have to take a plane so they pretty much have to be legal haha.

We also had a new guy try to move in! The biggest cockroach I've ever seen I think, was in our sink. We were freaking out because they crawl so fast! It zooped right out and down onto the cupboards and Elder Finlinson got it with a frying pan. 


For comparison, I put a Libro de Mormon next it, and for comparison, a Libro de Mormon with a Book of Mormon (Libros are bigger). Anyway we checked everywhere for a source, but we're pretty sure he was alone.
(I might have to break the news to him that cockroaches are never alone!)



 This is the BIG Nutella from Costco that I sent him. Eww!
Also! We went to a Polish restaurant! It was expensive for some reason but we had a sausage sampler and pierogis! It was pretty darn good! 


If I think of anything else exciting I'll let you know!

Love,
Elder Hogg

Monday, March 13, 2017

Week 7: Elder Denmarkson (?)

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Week 7: Elder Denmarkson
(He put that this was Week 8.. I changed it because I think it's week 7?)
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2017 10:08:12 -0500
From: Brett Hogg 

So I was wrong! Elder Finlinson was up in Fairfield (Allen area), not in Gilmer. The guy that was in Gilmer (who Elder Pattee replaced) did come to Plano, just not my companion. Elder Finlinson is from Salt Lake City, and has been out for 20 months so he'll more than likely die here, this is his second to last transfer!

This is the new district, Elder Finlinson is the one on the far left.
We're wondering what's going to happen now though, because you usually stay in an area for 3 transfers, which would mean we would leave the area at the same time, but they typically don't double people out (both companions leave and the area gets two new missionaries who don't know anyone or anything of the work (definitely happens, just not particularly often)). So either, I stay here for 4 transfers total (which is a long time to be in an area, 6 months, which is not likely, but not unheard of, Elder Pattee just served 4 transfers here), but more likely this will be my last transfer here, so that Elder Finlinson and teach the next person the area before he leave leaves. I'm going to be sad, I love the branch here. You never know though!

(To "die" in an area means it's your last area before going home.)

More than half of the district got transferred, mostly banished out east. Elder Pattee is out in Gilmer, one of the other sisters got sent to Nacogdoches, the other Elder is just north of Tyler. It's kind of cool to meet the new guys. When I first heard Elder Finlinson's name I didn't remember it, but I remembered it was a Scandinavian country of some sort lol, so I was trying to say his name to someone, and all I could think of was Elder Denmarkson lol!

With Pattee gone it's been pretty hard to try and teach the area to someone else, I'm still learning people's names myself! Elder Pattee had been here for 6 months, so he knew everybody and where they lived, the city, who's home when. I've been here for 6 weeks, and now I'm trying to figure out who to stop by and who needs what. We're doin' alright though.

We've started teaching a couple ladies, one from Colombia and one from Guatemala, they just got here and live with a member and they really like us, so that's cool. We also found a guy who's name is Cienfuegos, which means One Hundred Fires, how cool is that name?? He's a member who hasn't been active as far as anyone around here knows, but we were in his neighborhood (one of the apps we use is a map app that has pins for all the members, less actives, old investigators, etc.) and saw his name and we were like um heck yeah we want to meet Mr. Hundred Fuegos. Turns out he's from Mexico, and his wife is from Japan, what? The dad is the only member. Supposedly they all speak Spanish, Japanese and English. We're going to try and get to know them more.

Also this week we helped a member cut down most of a tree this week. That was pretty fun. The Dad is from Chile and the Mom is from Venezuela, and they're super nice. They have a son who served his mission in Chile is headed out to BYU-Hawaii soon. One time she got mad at Elder Pattee for being to skinny, and was concerned he wasn't eating enough on his mission lol. Latter I realized my arms and neck, and my face kind of, are all sunburnt! Sunburnt in March, what's up with that! It's been like 70°s, 80°s, here lately. Some days in the morning it will dip down to the 40°s or 50°s.

I love hearing about (almost) everything back home! 

I got my bike! And tell the cats I miss them! Lol

Anyway not much else exciting going on, I'll email some more in a little bit.

Thank you!!!!! I love you 


No armadillos yet, but we found a tiny lizard, and a cicada  (or however you spell it), Mom would love em! They're just giant beetle things, this one was just a molted shell or whatever:

(I believe the Book of Mormon is for size reference... haha)



Sunday, March 12, 2017

Companions and Links!


This is just a post to give you the link to Elder Hogg's former companion's blog!

Since Elder Pattee has a public blog - I can share it here!

Trev's Texas

My favorite is the voice email he sends to his family!  
You can hear the two of them on
which is my favorite.

Elder Hogg's new companion is Elder Finlinson.  
Image may contain: 1 person, smiling
I don't know if he has a blog, but his Facebook is mostly public and can be found HERE.
I'm sure I'll find out more tomorrow!

Mom/Sue

Monday, March 6, 2017

Week 6: See ya Pattee! (Elder Pattee is Brett's companion)

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Week 6: See ya Pattee!
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2017 13:46:36 -0600
From: Brett Hogg 


We got the email and Elder Pattee is out of here! We're waiting for the call to find out where he's going, who with, and who I'm getting. It should be by 5, so I'll let you know the info when we get it. 
Update Email from Elder Hogg later tonight: My new companion is Elder Finlinson! I pick him up from Gilmer tomorrow. Him and Elder P are switching places! Elder Pattee is heading out to Gilmer to be Zone leader. I'll tell you more about everything next week! Love you!! 
This week has been kind of slow, most of our appointments have fallen through. So not much news that way. Sunday was awesome. We had one of our recent baptisms blessing the sacrament, another bare her testimony, and recently reactivated give the closing prayer. And the same guy who blessed the sacrament is coming out with us on Saturday to appointments! It was a pretty good Sunday. 

I did leave my wallet but we were going to be back there the next morning so we didn't worry about it, but we didn't take into account seminary! So we got a call about the same time you did haha. Next time I get cancer I'll be sure to call you from another area code lol.  (Sassy!)

I'm sad I missed all those people that were in the area! It's hard not being able to email or text or call any of them. 

Yes the black Bucks shirt would be awesome! It's cool if Scott wants to wear the flannel. 

Yea my CCM dudes leave, hopefully I can get a picture with the four of them tomorrow before they ship out.

(The 3 elders he was with in the Mexico Missionary Training Center, or Centro de Capacitacion Misional, go home this week.  See THIS POST for pics with them on this blog when Brett went out the first time.  These other elders are done with their mission now; if Brett hadn't gotten sick - he's be coming home this Wednesday.)

Btw!! March 11th!! Jabari Parker bobblehead! I'll pay someone to go get it for me!! Make sure whoever gets it, is there on time, and buys the tickets through the Student Rush ticks thing, aunt Lisa knows about it. 

(Before Brett left - he became a big fan of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA team and went to several games. Jabrari Parker is a Mormon and the same age as Brett! He has attended church at our ward several times and classes with Brett. He's sooo tall!  Pretty cool! I had to email him that Jabrari tore his ACL last month - but I think they are still doing his bobblehead night!)

Any I love you guys!

Elder Hogg 

These are 2 pictures from district meeting. The first is us doing "false prophecies", we're we predict who's getting transfered everything. The other is Elder P decided to throw a BBQ because we got 10 investigators to church that Sunday.  


Also we went to a Chinese super market. There's like a strip of building all in Chinese. We got these sandwiches that were super cheap and pretty good. Also they have Buddha Beer and a ton of other weird food. (It appears that the one store is called "What the Pho" - haha)