Hey Fam-ly
How are ya doing---? How’s the fam--? Oh man, I just got your letter Mom, and oh man! Everyone seems to be doing soo good. My biggest sin right now is pride - for my family!!! Yeah!
No way! Willie stole home??? That’s so cool! I wish I could have done that! When I told everyone in the office (yeah, I brag about my family to everyone), one of the elders responded by saying “hey, that only happens in the Sandlot!” I think Bradford should remember that for the rest of his life so he could tell his kids! Haha. And setting the school record in the shot put is pretty cool too.
Hilary? You’re hittin the radio now? Man, that is amazing! Has anyone asked for your autograph? Are you going to hit the primetime now? Are you going to go pro? If so, will I be your manager? And if so, could I get like 10%? I think it would be best to keep it all in the family, if you know what I mean! :-D So, I was listening to Christmas music the other day (yes, I have already conceded to a little Christmas music every once in a while---), and I heard that song off of Forgotten Carols “I Cry the Day They Take the Tree Down,” and I got to thinking - Hilary should sing that! Just a thought--- P.S. It’s your turn to write a letter! :-D
As for Spencer ---WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU GET ORANGE AND PURPLE BANDS??? Haha, I’m glad you settled on “Royal Blue” and “Kelly Green,” whatever “Kelly Green” means--haha. I’m just kidding; you can get whatever colours you want! You know I can’t stop you---so go ahead! ☺ P.S. It’s your turn to write a letter! :-D
I think it is funny that I am writing this while Mom and Hil are in China, but I know y’all will be home by the time they get it, so I’ll still write to you! Let’s see--this week, eh?-- What did happen this week? Well, I’m pretty much sure it rained for like 4 days straight. And yet it was so hot that we would sweat a ton without air conditioning. I am thankful for air conditioning. I’m pretty sure I will have to get a new pair of shoes sometime in the upcoming months, just to let you know! Probably nothing more than 70 bucks---? I didn’t get out as much as I would have liked this past week, but we had a lot of office work to do. A lot of baptisms, a lot of apartments moving, a lot of my Mission President is changing this week!!! The day has finally come -- By the time you get this, I will probably have met President Isa already. I hear he is a big and powerful guy. I won’t lie, I am slightly scared! I hope he doesn’t break me or something -- haha. I hear he is really really nice, so I’m look forward to meeting him.
Now, Dad has already probably figured this out, but I am going to withdraw about 200 dollars today to do repairs on my bike -- the light broke, and the brakes are wearing down, and one of the pedals is half missing. So, I will try my hardest to keep them from jacking up the prices on me (a foreigner). Odds are, I won’t use all the money, so I’ll just keep it for later.
Well, I’ve done some more growing this week. Being inside so much makes me want to go outside so bad as a missionary. And, it feels good to sweat. I’m starting to really like that. So, I’m going to try and do it more!
So, for every transfer I write a 2 word saying on my planner to help remind me of something important or spiritual, like “repent daily” or “guit making excuses, you!” or “vamos la!” (“let’s go!” in Portugese), and this transfer, I wrote “lucky duck!” and I drew a picture of a duck going “quack quack.” It’s really true. I am one lucky duck. I have been able to see a whole family get baptized and I have been able to see them grow and progress in the gospel. Also, as recorder, I get to work with every single baptism in the mission. That’s pretty lucky. I also had a chance to speak in sacrament meeting on Father’s Day to one of the largest wards in the mission. I also get way sweet letters from my friends and family. I get to hear how awesome my little brothers and sister are doing, and I get to see my little niece grow up! (Thanks Sarah! You are awesome!) I get to work with magnificent elders here in the mission office, and I also am able to keep in touch with the whole mission as part of my responsibilities. So, basically, I have like 50 new friends at least. I also get to be a normal missionary and ride my bike and make friends and share the happiest thing in the world! Because that is really what the gospel is -- the happiest thing in the world! So, my challenge to everyone this week is to discover what makes them a “lucky duck” and report back to me! ☺ I will be eagerly awaiting!
Well, have a good week full of goodness and please find good things to do to help you feel good! Haha.
Full of happyness,
Elder Hogge, Recorder
P.S. Christmas comes everyday for the missionary who finds a letter waiting for him in the mailbox!!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
9 June 2008
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!
I just wish you could have heard how loud that was. I’m doing good. How about y’all? This past week is what I would like to call a “growing week.” Not bad, but I sure learned a lot. I’m getting into having a Japanese comp. Our ways of thinking and languages of speaking differ, so it has already been a journey to form unity. But we find ways. For example, we are into making up Japanese words right now. My favorite is “dekimasho!” Which (if translated) means “let’s can!” (as in “can do something”). If there’s something I’ve already learned out here, it’s that tears and laughter are both necessary to live, but laughter is more healthy. Speaking of, Hil: I got the picture of your BF! Oh! Burn! Haha, just kidding. You all are so awesome! I promise I’ll get special individually-wrapped letters for all you who have done awesome writing. It’s like Christmas everyday when the mail comes! Unless I don’t get any. Then it’s like a not-as-fun-day as Christmas. Well, I love you all: Mom, Dad, Mindy, Sarah, Aaron, Mari, Hilary, Spencer, Willie, my cuzins on missions, my lovely grandparents, my awesome other cousins and friends and family and even those who may not know me all that well, but are reading this nonetheless . . . .
WUBBIES! Elder Hogge
P.S. Enjoy the many pictures.
I just wish you could have heard how loud that was. I’m doing good. How about y’all? This past week is what I would like to call a “growing week.” Not bad, but I sure learned a lot. I’m getting into having a Japanese comp. Our ways of thinking and languages of speaking differ, so it has already been a journey to form unity. But we find ways. For example, we are into making up Japanese words right now. My favorite is “dekimasho!” Which (if translated) means “let’s can!” (as in “can do something”). If there’s something I’ve already learned out here, it’s that tears and laughter are both necessary to live, but laughter is more healthy. Speaking of, Hil: I got the picture of your BF! Oh! Burn! Haha, just kidding. You all are so awesome! I promise I’ll get special individually-wrapped letters for all you who have done awesome writing. It’s like Christmas everyday when the mail comes! Unless I don’t get any. Then it’s like a not-as-fun-day as Christmas. Well, I love you all: Mom, Dad, Mindy, Sarah, Aaron, Mari, Hilary, Spencer, Willie, my cuzins on missions, my lovely grandparents, my awesome other cousins and friends and family and even those who may not know me all that well, but are reading this nonetheless . . . .
WUBBIES! Elder Hogge
P.S. Enjoy the many pictures.
2 June 2008
Dear the fam . . .
BLAH!! Have you ever had the feeling you’ve got all the time in the world and there’s no rush for anything; and then, in one day, a million things come up, and you get all frustrated thinking that you could have done all that work spread out through many free days instead of all crammed into one? Well, that was today. Dad, is this a taste of office work? I know, I could have probably planned better so that wouldn’t happen, but for being recorder for one week, can you blame me? Haha, yeah. . . I just found bunches of stuff (baptism records and stuff) this morning, and we were also very “strongly urged” to clean up the apartment by President Yafuso, and we had to go shopping for groceries all on top of that. Not to mention I had to read your letters before I could respond to them. Haha -- oh man. Sometimes I wonder if the mission will help me go bald early. Haha, then, me and Dad could be twins!
Let’s see, we had transfer calls this past week, but I had already known where I was going, what I was doing, and who my companion was going to be (Mission Office Recorder, Kobayashi with the wrench!), so it took all of the fun out of what many elders refer to as the Christmas that comes once every six weeks -- TRANSFER CALLS! Since people move very fast and very frequently here, odds are that one thing changes out of every companionship almost every transfer. Pretty crazy, huh?
So, back to Elder Kobayashi -- he is the man! We are about the same height, but he is about 40 pounds lighter. Haha, he is one cool dude. When nothing needs to be said, he doesn’t say anything -- a gift that I could probably learn a lot from! Haha, he also has a goofy side a lot like me, so even though language may be somewhat of a barrier, we still communicate very well, if you know what I mean! Haha . . . oh man . . .
I think it’s pretty awesome that Dad’s “Dear Elder” now comes with letters from a sister and two cousins, all on missions! We really are God’s army! Hehe . . . in case this letter gets to any of them -- YOU ALL ROCK!! The sisters just have an amazing touch for building good relationships with members, making missionary work a member thing -- WHICH IT IS! In an ideal world, missionaries would go from referral to lesson to less active to referral, all with the members in their cars. But the Lord knows I still need a good humblin! So I’m still working hard with what is going on. We have the family baptism this Saturday, so please pray for them and us! I will be sure to send pictures. Who knew the Lord would have sent me to Japan to learn Portugese? Most of our strong investigators are Brazilian, so it’s a way neat experience! I just know I will look back on these days and wish I could go back so bad. So I’m going to work hard and continue onward -- ever onward? Well, I love y’all.
Take care, [unintelligible Japanese characters]
BLAH!! Have you ever had the feeling you’ve got all the time in the world and there’s no rush for anything; and then, in one day, a million things come up, and you get all frustrated thinking that you could have done all that work spread out through many free days instead of all crammed into one? Well, that was today. Dad, is this a taste of office work? I know, I could have probably planned better so that wouldn’t happen, but for being recorder for one week, can you blame me? Haha, yeah. . . I just found bunches of stuff (baptism records and stuff) this morning, and we were also very “strongly urged” to clean up the apartment by President Yafuso, and we had to go shopping for groceries all on top of that. Not to mention I had to read your letters before I could respond to them. Haha -- oh man. Sometimes I wonder if the mission will help me go bald early. Haha, then, me and Dad could be twins!
Let’s see, we had transfer calls this past week, but I had already known where I was going, what I was doing, and who my companion was going to be (Mission Office Recorder, Kobayashi with the wrench!), so it took all of the fun out of what many elders refer to as the Christmas that comes once every six weeks -- TRANSFER CALLS! Since people move very fast and very frequently here, odds are that one thing changes out of every companionship almost every transfer. Pretty crazy, huh?
So, back to Elder Kobayashi -- he is the man! We are about the same height, but he is about 40 pounds lighter. Haha, he is one cool dude. When nothing needs to be said, he doesn’t say anything -- a gift that I could probably learn a lot from! Haha, he also has a goofy side a lot like me, so even though language may be somewhat of a barrier, we still communicate very well, if you know what I mean! Haha . . . oh man . . .
I think it’s pretty awesome that Dad’s “Dear Elder” now comes with letters from a sister and two cousins, all on missions! We really are God’s army! Hehe . . . in case this letter gets to any of them -- YOU ALL ROCK!! The sisters just have an amazing touch for building good relationships with members, making missionary work a member thing -- WHICH IT IS! In an ideal world, missionaries would go from referral to lesson to less active to referral, all with the members in their cars. But the Lord knows I still need a good humblin! So I’m still working hard with what is going on. We have the family baptism this Saturday, so please pray for them and us! I will be sure to send pictures. Who knew the Lord would have sent me to Japan to learn Portugese? Most of our strong investigators are Brazilian, so it’s a way neat experience! I just know I will look back on these days and wish I could go back so bad. So I’m going to work hard and continue onward -- ever onward? Well, I love y’all.
Take care, [unintelligible Japanese characters]
Pictures from Joey's Mission
with Joey's captions.
Elder Smith and I. (We had the same Astronomy class!)
Way cool Chinese recent convert named "Brother Jo." He's so cool.
Me and Elder Smith just spent 40 minutes climbing a huge hill in the sun!
Us with the AWESOME members on top of the hill. The Tanaka Family.
All-you-can-eat cook-it-yourself meat place called "Viking."
Fruit and Ice Cream Crepe!!
Now this is all you can eat!
Elder Butterfield (previous recorder), Me, Elder Smith (companion) at the Genbaku Peace Dome.
Me eating an EXTREMELY rare Pizza Hut pizza. In the Mission Office.
The Bishop and I jammed a little to Primary songs once . . . .
Having fun at the Hiroshima Carps game.
BASEBALL GAME! Can you tell who is home and who is away?
Professional Japanese baseball game.
We had a softball conference with our whole stake.
FACE MASKS!!
Me and my newest companion Elder Kobayashi seeing off the returning missionaries!
The Higa Family's Baptism! I baptized the Mom and Dad, and a young man in the ward baptized the son. I did it in Portugese!
After the Baptism.
There's a lot in Hiroshima1
Me in Hiroshima. We found a good view while housing.
I like to call this one: "Looking towards the futures."
Elder Smith and I. (We had the same Astronomy class!)
Way cool Chinese recent convert named "Brother Jo." He's so cool.
Me and Elder Smith just spent 40 minutes climbing a huge hill in the sun!
Us with the AWESOME members on top of the hill. The Tanaka Family.
All-you-can-eat cook-it-yourself meat place called "Viking."
Fruit and Ice Cream Crepe!!
Now this is all you can eat!
Elder Butterfield (previous recorder), Me, Elder Smith (companion) at the Genbaku Peace Dome.
Me eating an EXTREMELY rare Pizza Hut pizza. In the Mission Office.
The Bishop and I jammed a little to Primary songs once . . . .
Having fun at the Hiroshima Carps game.
BASEBALL GAME! Can you tell who is home and who is away?
Professional Japanese baseball game.
We had a softball conference with our whole stake.
FACE MASKS!!
Me and my newest companion Elder Kobayashi seeing off the returning missionaries!
The Higa Family's Baptism! I baptized the Mom and Dad, and a young man in the ward baptized the son. I did it in Portugese!
After the Baptism.
There's a lot in Hiroshima1
Me in Hiroshima. We found a good view while housing.
I like to call this one: "Looking towards the futures."
Saturday, June 7, 2008
26 May 2008
DEAR THE FAMILY--
Another transfer is coming to a close. I promise, they are getting faster! Pretty much my days as Mission Secretary and Mission Grandma are coming to an end, but my days as Mission Recorder are just beginning! Yeah, that’s right. I received my transfer call last week, a week before everyone else in the mission. Basically, the AP’s walked out of the President’s Office and said, “Hey Hogge, start getting trained!” So, I go from sorting mail and ordering plane tickets and setting everything up for new and returning missionaries to receiving/organizing/distributing referrals and doing all the baptism paper work and making sure the computers don’t explode.
If you told me I would have a desk job for my first summer in the mission field, I wouldn’t have believed you! And then I would have thought a while, and then I would have said, “Alright, Air Conditioning!”
Truthfully, I would rather be out there doing what I have been doing for four months, but I don’t think the Lord wants to let me do one thing and get comfortable doing it. Maybe the Lord knew I have always wanted to get a desk-job-career, so He gave me this chance with the warning, “Do you really want that???”
Haha, if I’m like my Father in Heaven, then He probably gave me this goofy sense of humor! I have a theory that God had all these different personality traits, and He gave all of them out until He was left with one weird/goofy sense of humor. He had to get rid of it, so, in His panic, He picked the Hogge’s. And now I stand here before you.
Also, the weather is getting . . . interesting. I’ve heard Sacramento weather is pretty normal, so I just assumed that when the sun shines, it’s hot, and when it rains, it’s cool, just from countless days and summers and winters in California. But since God has a sense of humor, He decided to mix things up on me! It’s just sooo wet and hot! And when it’s not raining, it’s still wet and hot! I literally walk out the door, and I almost choke because the air is so saturated with water! And it’s not even really hot yet! It’s so humid, I think I haven’t stopped sweating for a day or two. Don’t worry, if you don’t understand, I’m sure I will have parts 2, 3, 4, etc. on weather in letters to come!
Well, the AC just got switched out here in the Mission Office (for the new Mission President next month), but we haven’t been able to use if for about three weeks. Let us all pray that it will come back on in the near future!
Well, thanks for your prayers and patience and letters.
Joey Hogge
Another transfer is coming to a close. I promise, they are getting faster! Pretty much my days as Mission Secretary and Mission Grandma are coming to an end, but my days as Mission Recorder are just beginning! Yeah, that’s right. I received my transfer call last week, a week before everyone else in the mission. Basically, the AP’s walked out of the President’s Office and said, “Hey Hogge, start getting trained!” So, I go from sorting mail and ordering plane tickets and setting everything up for new and returning missionaries to receiving/organizing/distributing referrals and doing all the baptism paper work and making sure the computers don’t explode.
If you told me I would have a desk job for my first summer in the mission field, I wouldn’t have believed you! And then I would have thought a while, and then I would have said, “Alright, Air Conditioning!”
Truthfully, I would rather be out there doing what I have been doing for four months, but I don’t think the Lord wants to let me do one thing and get comfortable doing it. Maybe the Lord knew I have always wanted to get a desk-job-career, so He gave me this chance with the warning, “Do you really want that???”
Haha, if I’m like my Father in Heaven, then He probably gave me this goofy sense of humor! I have a theory that God had all these different personality traits, and He gave all of them out until He was left with one weird/goofy sense of humor. He had to get rid of it, so, in His panic, He picked the Hogge’s. And now I stand here before you.
Also, the weather is getting . . . interesting. I’ve heard Sacramento weather is pretty normal, so I just assumed that when the sun shines, it’s hot, and when it rains, it’s cool, just from countless days and summers and winters in California. But since God has a sense of humor, He decided to mix things up on me! It’s just sooo wet and hot! And when it’s not raining, it’s still wet and hot! I literally walk out the door, and I almost choke because the air is so saturated with water! And it’s not even really hot yet! It’s so humid, I think I haven’t stopped sweating for a day or two. Don’t worry, if you don’t understand, I’m sure I will have parts 2, 3, 4, etc. on weather in letters to come!
Well, the AC just got switched out here in the Mission Office (for the new Mission President next month), but we haven’t been able to use if for about three weeks. Let us all pray that it will come back on in the near future!
Well, thanks for your prayers and patience and letters.
Joey Hogge
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