Monday, January 29, 2018

Hola Famsquad! Baptism back in Oak Cliff


-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Hola Famsquad!
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2018 15:17:44 -0600
From: Brett Hogg 

This week was pretty neat. The Hermanas back up in my district in Oak Cliff had an investigator that wanted me to baptize him! I guess when they asked him he said "el hermano Sinaloa," Sometimes when I meet Hispanics I tell them I'm from Sinaloa (north west part of Mexico, a drug capital of the world, and birthplace of Elder Flores), and they think it's hilarious.

Anyway, they explained that I really wouldn't be able to make, being 3 hours away. There's a rule that says if a baptism or recent convert going to the Temple and you're more than 45 min away you can't go (for the sake of time, miles, and resources).

Also a little while later they asked who else is coming to his baptism from his family and he said no one, they don't like it, which made them super sad. So I guess they prayed about it and called President, and asked if I could come baptize Angel.  He told them to ask if there was anyone else he would like to do it, so they did, and he said if not me than just kind of whoever. After reporting this back to President, he called me, explained it all, and said that he said that he felt impressed to call and run it by me, more or less saying that I could go if I could find a ride, and have it not be burden on the members.

Luckily we got it figured out, thanks to some amazing members, and we were able to go! It was awesome to see him and some of the old district. I didn't even mess up the prayer or anything, so he only had to be dunked once! At the baptism, the front row where he sat was empty except for him and I, so that was neat that I got to be there. Afterwords He got up and shared his testimony basically about how awesome the hermanas are. He loves baseball too, so we got him a baseball and all the missionaries signed it.  Great day, you can definitely feel a little slice of heaven at baptisms.





Then Sunday. Sunday was awesome. We had invited several people to church including 2 inactive families, and 2 less active families. Almost everyone came, and sacrament meeting attendance nearly doubled. It was a great feeling. We help set up sacrament, and even put extra cups in the trays (usually they only use 2 rows, and they don't even get all used), and afterwords they were nearly all gone. It was high council Sunday, which is always kind of weird, because then someone has to translate during sacrament meeting, but they were good talks. We had 2 investigators there as well, it was awesome. 

Note from Mom: Missionaries often invite people to church (which makes sense) - but not often do they all come!  This is very cool news!

Our solid investigators right now are mostly unbaptized youth, which are cool because they come with families that want to come back to church. Otherwise we have some others that we are slowly teaching. It's always exciting when you find a hispanic who wants to listen, because there aren't as many here. 

By the way nearly everyone in the Branch is from Coahuila? And mostly from Piedras Negras (the city I went to with Grandpa and Grandma Debbie for a couple days that one year), or Eagle Pass (the border town, state-side side of Piedra Negras). 

I don't know why, nor does anyone else, they all say that they think it was jobs, but how did those jobs attract people from only like one city lol?? Also all the key priesthood holders of the branch work at or own tire shops? 

Anyway, I love the Branch here, they're super awesome people, who love the Gospel, and they make the best food. Which reminds me, I don't know if people are feeding the the missionaries back home, but there is no reason their calendar should have any empty dinner spaces. If a very humble branch of like 20 active members can proudly feed the missionaries every day, then a big english ward can, no problem.

Also there was like 3 days in a row that members made us burgers. What do Mexican cheeseburgers have on them? Well patty, cheese and bun of course, but also a ton of guacamole (just smashed avocado with some salt, nothing else), ham (or bologna), mustard, mayonnaise and lettuce. Then ketchup, pickles, onions, tomatoes, and jalapenos (strongly encouraged) on the table if you really want 'em. Now, in Oak Cliff we tried Hamburguesas Norteñas from a taqueria, and they were really good as well. They're similar except that they have trompo (pork cooked on a vertical spit, like the Mediterranean equivalent shwarma) on them as well. Also, there's a restaurant in Oak Cliff called Burgüesa, excellent burgers, they have a tostadas and refried beans and a chipotlé sauce. Definitely more TexMex though. But I digress. Homemade Mexican burgers are amazing. 

Also one of the people who came to church was a Spaniard! She's the sister of one of the inactives, they're actually Honduran, but when they left, one came to Texas, one in Washington and the rest Spain. So we got to hear her weird Spainish lisp, and her use vosotros form! Spain is a weird place. The brother told us about when they were in Honduras their branch was like 5 or 6 people, and they met in their house. His dad was inactive and wouldn't come to church, so he would be in the bedroom, and be like 5 feet away from church ..lol!

Anyway, we also stacked hay again, but other than all that, that's about it from the front lines,

Love you guys!
Elder Hogg

Monday, January 22, 2018

Voice Email - Snow in Lufkin!

Subject: Audio email!
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2018 16:50:05 -0600
From: Brett Hogg 

Love ya!


I told in an email that that last night we got 4" of snow and it was no longer green (and sent him pictures).  Here are other pics he sent:  Summer Sausage, Snow and Shipleys Donuts! ~Mom

Enjoying the summer sausage we sent him from Wisconsin!

SNOW IN LUFKIN!! 

See all that snow?  Hope they were careful driving! haha

Snow!

Shipley's Donuts!
Here's their website:
https://www.shipleydonuts.com/


Monday, January 15, 2018

Lufkin week 3

Subject: Lufkin week 3
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2018 15:53:55 -0600
From: Brett Hogg 

Hey Fam!

Another week here in Lufkin. We've been seeing small miracles here lately. Our Branch President and his family here are awesome. After stake conference with Elder Stevenson, his (the Branch President's) wife asked us to come by and share something for a Family Home Evening. Well we get there Monday night, and there's this inactive family there that missionaries have tried working with in the past, and the Branch President and his wife start talking about how important it is to come to church and baptism (one of their kids isnt baptised) and it was awesome! They wanted to have another Noche de Hogar, that explained baptism better., and the one daughter said she was going to invite her friends.

Then the next night we stopped by a potential investigator we found looking for an inactive member. She wasn't there but her son answered the door. He said he wouldn't mind hearing our message, then he was like "I think my friend is a missionary" and we were like whaaat? Turns out his neighbor friend is on a mission in the Philippines. We didn't know about it because it's a hispanic family that attends the English. We talked to the neighbor, and she has been working with that family for a little bit now, even talking the younger girl to church already! So we're pretty stoked to work with the family now. She even gave us another person she's been working with, it was awesome!

We did run into a really cool guy, knocking the neighbors of a less active. He really liked the Book of Mormon and everything, but then he told us he was moving to Houston :(

Then we had zone conference up in Longview again. It was a good meeting, but its like a 2 hour drive. We have to go back up this Thursday for interviews.

Other than that, a pretty normal week.

Love you all!
Elder Hogg


This is Pan de los Reyes Magos (King Bread, literally Bread of the 3 Wise Men). They make it for Christmas, then who ever is eating it and gets the baby, they have to make Tamales/food for the party. 

A member gave us a bunch of it, as well as Buñuelo (not sure how to spell it?). They're fried tortillas with cinnamon/sugar and honey. They are pretty darn good. 



Monday, January 8, 2018

Tender Truck Mercies

Subject: Tender Truck Mercies
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2018 14:32:10 -0600
From: Brett Hogg 

So we haven't had the truck for like a week and a half. Every couple days or so we would call them, and they would tell us a day that it should be ready, so we would call that day and they said they would call us back and never do it, or the the guy thats working on it isn't in that day, or is out to lunch, it was always something. So on Saturday, we decided to walk all the way there, to talk to them in person (and hopefully get some sympathy by telling them we had to walk there). Well when they get there, it was ready to go! We were a little confused as to why we never got a call telling us it was ready, but more importantly, we didn't have to walk home!!! I was happy the rest of the day.

Then this weekend we had stake conference, the stake center is nearly 2 hours away, but it was worth it because they had Elder Stevenson preside! It was a good meeting. Of course everyone talked about President Monson (I'm pretty stoked for this General Conference btw, a Solemn Assembly + 2 new Apostles). He shared one of his favorite Monson quotes: "Never Let the problem to be solved become more important than the person to be loved" (I think I got that down right). 
Image result for president monson quote person solved problem

Elder Stevenson also talked about how Joy is proportional to knowledge, that's one of the reasons we are so happy, is because we have the Book of Mormon, more knowledge. He also talked about the importance of recognizing that we are children of God, and talked a little bit about how foreign of a concept that is in a lot of places, like Japan where he served a lot of time in different capacities. He talked mostly about member missionary work. When talking about missionary work, he said sometimes our duties weigh us down when they should lift us. He had Pres and Sister Dalton, and their family, and all the missionaries stand up so everybody could see us. Then he talked about "the stairway to missionary work." These are the steps:

1. Pray for the missionaries (the ones in your ward, and the ones from your ward).
2. Pray for them by name.
3. Pray for those being taught the gospel (Investigators).
4. Pray for them by name.
5. Fellowship investigators and recent converts.
6. Invite missionaries to teach your family. (He talked about how when you have them over for dinner, eat, then take half the time for them to teach you a lesson)
7. Invite missionaries to teach investigators and recent converts in your home.
8. Invite your friends and family to meet the missionaries.

Good steps if you ask me. That's about it this week, other than the above, mostly just walking. Anyway, love yall!

Love, 
Elder Hogg

Monday, January 1, 2018

Lufkin Walkin' & Rudolf the Red-Nosed Pumping Unit!

Subject: Lufkin walkin'
Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2018 21:44:40 -0600
From: Brett Hogg 


How's it going family!

It's another week in good ol' Lufkin. It has been wicked cold here. It wouldn't bother me much but our truck's battery destroyed itself and corroded the wires around it, and because it's been Christmas and New Year's, it's been at least a week and a half to get it back. So instead we have been hitching rides with the other Elders and just walking! Walking isn't fun but it's actually not impossible to walk Lufkin proper. The Loop (the highway around the city, and what determines how big a city is: "Is it a small town?" "Well, it has a loop." In comparison Dallas has a ton of loops) is only like 4 miles in diameter. The only problem is that it's really cold, and that nobody walks in the cold, except Mormon missionaries, so there's no one to contact along the way lol.

So the other night we got dropped off and were going to make our way back home, but we decided to say a prayer before we started on our journey. Well as soon as we ended our prayer a guy walks up behind us and we offer him a pass along card, and he says "oh are you the new Elders?", and it turned out to be Will Ferrell! He's an inactive recent convert who the missionaries have been looking for! So it wasn't a new investigator or anything but we got to talk to him and a return appointment; he's an interesting guy.

Then we had to go into Dallas for a meeting. We got a ride with some really cool members to Longview, spent the day there, then that night drove with another missionary to Tyler to spend the night. Then we got up at 4:45 to drive to Frisco. Then after the meeting we drove to Tyler, and dropped those missionaries off, then drove to Longview, but it got to be too late, so we spent the night there and in the morning drove back to Lufkin. It's kind of annoying to have to go to Dallas, because that means at least 1 day of not working, and the days surrounding are probably not working in your area. The meetings are good though. 

Otherwise, nothing else really exciting. Next week we might be going to the Lufkin Zoo, which I hear is really nice, so I'll probably do another voice recording, those work pretty well on my end, are they a hassle for you?

Till next week!
Love,
Elder Hogg

A picture of me with the Lufkin-famous, Rudolf the red nosed pumping unit! A guy told us his wife made him go to the lighting ceremony, which bring in a crowd of a couple hundred if not thousands!