Our son is home. It has been a crazy two years. To see the great growth and change in him is wonderful. his testimony has grown and his love for his Savior is immense. It is as a dream to have him home. the time flew by so fast for all of us. We will miss being "missionary parents" but we are excited to see what the next chapter of his life will bring. well done, Elder Matthew Vogel.

 The Lord is pleased with your efforts as a missionary. Your service in the Manchester New Hampshire Mission has been accepted as a worthy offering.

With much love and gratitude for all of you who have loved and supported our son. Thank you
John and Judy Vogel

saying good bye

more goodbyes

on the way to the temple

at the temple

the best two years with these guys

came out to the mission field together...Going home together

Elder Vogel

All of us at the temple with Pres. and Sister Blair

all of us going home

elder Vogel with president and sister Blair

at the airport in New Hampshire

time to go

last shot before they leave

Oct 30th - Nov 6th

Holy cow I’m finished. I can’t believe this!

There has been a lot I've learned on my mission. Many I won’t be able to explain because of the sheer sacredness.
I’m currently writing my last email on the plane from Detroit headed to see my wonderful family. I've been sick so it is shorter that it would have otherwise been.
I will forever miss New England. I will miss all my friends, and people I've watched change and the people that have changed me. There’s nothing quite like it on earth.
I’m still at the shock phase, I don’t think this is going to end until I see my home shortly.
I will forever be grateful for the opportunity I've had to delicate 2 years of my life to a loving Heavenly Father who loves me and you.
I’m so grateful for his love, that’s never unceasing and I’m grateful that when I finally came and said “I’m sorry, I need you” he was right there and changed my life.

21 comps, 9 areas, 2 mission presidents, 2 languages and 1 baptism.

My mission was successful because I changed.

In the MTC they told us that we are our first convert, when I became converted, everything seemed so much easier.  before my mission, I saw all the other missionaries and I said “I want that” and I found it. It was true Christlike love.


Thank you all for the best 2 years I could have ever asked for my life! I will forever miss it. Don’t wish it away, cuz it comes quick.

Love you all.

For the Last time, Elder Matthew Vogel

Oct 23rd - Oct 30th

Well, this week was not to eventful sadly.

We went on exchanges on Brewer, and Elder Sobisky and I hit the
streets baby! But sadly, I got way sick... sooo, that had to happen...
I did get to see the Thurlows from Lincoln! It was quite the treat, I
miss em!

Afterwords, elder Bassett got sick.. so, we tried numerous times to go
out and talk to people, but found ourselves being so sick, it felt
like we where getting shot in the face.. so we where in the apartment
needing to recover a lot... like the whole week..

The weather also sucked, it rained... like half the week haha it was a
“am I still at home?” Moment.

We went and helped out at Jackson’s eagle project, we build picnic
benches. Rad. Like the good old days. We got pizza afterwards.

We met a super awesome guy, his name is Tom. He lives in Oakland
“Waterville area” but he came to a dinner with the Frappier family and he
dug our brains out. It was kinda awesome, because I got to use 2 whole
years of missionary experience. It came like BAM! Awesome. He liked it
so much, we will be seeing him again in the future.

I’ve probably only gotten about 40 hours of sleep this week because if
I’m able to sleep, I sleep for about an hour or two and I wake up
choking and coughing my life away and there goes my night. But a cool
experience this week was Sunday.
Elder Bassett and I didn’t get any sleep last night, he woke up
and had a massive nose bleed, like blood everywhere, he looked like a
zombie and I thought I was dead for a second, cuz when you don’t
sleep, your mind plays tricks on you. Anyway, he cleaned up and we
tried sleeping again but it was to bad. So we stayed up, layed in bed
and yea. Long night.
But morning came and we where talking and thinking “should we even go
to church? We are way to sick” but we started getting manageable and
we decided to go for sacrament meeting. And I’m glad we did.
When we got there, I saw the Wilson family from Bar Harbor, I walked
in and saw their daughter Sadie and I thought I was dreaming and I was
back in Ellsworth, but I thought about it and the words “the Wilsons?”
Came out and sure enough, it was them! So awesome to see them again!
And for elder Bassett, the Waymouths-Cosme, and they are a family who
lived close to elder Bassett in Idaho, but then moved to Belfast a few
years back. So it was a great reunion for the both of us!

The lord blesses our efforts, no matter what they are, even being sick
all week, we still saw some tender mercies and miracles.

I also have a week left on my mission.. oh snap.. my milk expires
after me.. I’m pretty much done, Halloween will mark official 2 years
since I was set apart as a missionary.. I’ll leave the sob story for
my last week haha

Love you all! 10 days!

Elder Vogel

Oct 18th - Oct 23rd 

We had a good week, just not to eventful. Our finding efforts have failed recently, so we need to try something out different for next week. We are having a big fat 0 in all categories. 

However, we did see Dale, and we taught him about service. 

 We also where able to teach his whole family the restoration and they said “oh man, I miss that!” Way cool. 

We saw the Goforths and had a dinner with them and helped them see that church is still important. However, they didn't come to church sadly.

 Church was pretty good. We had a few great talks about the spirit and about bishops seminar with elder Bednar, really good. 

We were able to go and see Matt and Nikki, our new family we found a few weeks ago! 

We went over and Matt talked to us for a solid hour about nothing really but it was good to see him and he said we are good to see him again, so he still wants to learn! WHOOP WHOOP! 

The fall has ended. Sadly. It was a bad fall this year anyway. The colors where cool, but not super good as last years, don’t worry, (mom) I did get some pictures and videos. 

We where at the deer farm and we helped clean out some stuff then Norman calls us and says “come to the hunt park, bring your big knives. We’re going on a safari” so I strapped a knife to my side and so did elder Bassett and we went to the park. 

There where some hunters there that shot a buffalo, but, it ran off. So we all went together and hunted a buffalo! It was pretty awesome, not gonna lie. 

One of the hunters was like “stop!” And he shot a deer, it was pretty cool to see that. 

However, we sadly didn't find the buffalo, it was a smaller one, not the typical Yellowstone monster ones, but it still was big. We even had a drone in the air looking, but we must have done that for about 2 hours, my heart was pumpin' haha.

 Other than that, that was our eventful week.

 My testimony is growing in enduring to the end. This is the time where I really need to use all I've got. Most missionaries have a prosperous area, but sadly we don’t. 

So we have to be creative and use everything to find someone to teach. 

It will be a good test. 

Love you all ! 

Miss you! See you in 2 weeks

Love Elder Vogel

Autumn in Maine

Hi Elders

using my new selfie stick

more autumn in Maine

Oct 9th - Oct 16th

This week was not very successful in finding but David, our investigator came to church! It was awesome! We also spoke in church this week and it was kinda emotional. I pretty much gave my
farewell to the ward, felt like I was leaving for my mission again.

We knocked and searched and searched for new people, but we got nothing sadly.

The fall out here is BEAUTIFUL! It’s starting to bloom with colors!

We did more at the deer farm, we went and picked rocks and sticks,
which is alright, but we are helping prep for a hay field. Should be
good.
random....I was cleaning out my ears and I plugged one up, so I ran all over the
state of Maine to try and get that fixed. It was successful, I’m all
good and I can hear, my listening skills need work tho Haha

We also had a Zone PDay in Bangor, Halloween themed and we carved
pumpkins. You best believe I used my new knives! pictures were last weeks post.

We also had an exchange this week, I was with elder Lundell! It was way awesome
to see my boy again!
He’s doing good, working through some things, but he will be good. We
just talked, had s awesome heart to heart with him.

Other than that, not to much else sadly. We are working hard, trying
to see the success!
Love you all! See you in 24 Days!


Con amor de Elder Vogel

no not black ops... Halloween fun with the Zone

Zone P-day Fun.

pumpkin carving contest

Zone PDAY

The District. Elder Vogel District leader

Bison on the hunt farm

More of the herd

Oct 7th - Oct 9th

It’s all doin good here! Sorry for the shorter letter, we had several meetings we where at.

First was Zone Conference, my last one! Holy cow. All we did was get smart phones and elder Palmer, Sobisky and I gave our golden truths. Kinda nerve racking.

My golden truth that I shared was to never give up. That hard things come, but all will be well.

We had a really awesome lesson with David this week!
We where planning to see him our regular thursday evenings and he said “naw I’m not doing to well”
So we talked to him and he finally let us come see him and we had a wonderful talk about baptism and about trials. He’s been having an emotional week.
But he said he would give the smoking program another try and keep his head up!

We went to the deer farm and elder Bassett was introduced to the gang, pretty awesome.

We also had interviews, it was my last and I received some awesome council from Pres Blair. I'm going to miss him.


Love you all! Sorry it short, but nothing really happened. Slow slow week

Elder Vogel

Enviando desde me iPad

Meeting Elder Bassett

seeing friends during transfers

Sept 25th - Oct 2nd

Busy week! Well, felt like it. Idk if I a lot actually happened tho haha

We started this week with other PDay out in the woods, we went on
another hike and Jasmine came with us and we just went with the clothes in our backs. ‘Twas fun, and water never tasted so good 😂

Tuesday I drove ALL THE WAY DOWN to Manchester and got
Elder Bassett. We drove back and that was our day. I saw a couple good
friends and had a good time down there.

Wednesday was district meeting and I had a pretty special experience,
one that I haven’t really had since the MTC. It was good, and I’m
super excited for all the new missionaries in the district!


We had a meeting in Newport with other missionaries, and it kinda
drove me nuts honestly. Sister missionary acting like my mom, needless
to say, spirit wasn't there and yea.. but we are gonna role with it I
guess.

We saw Terry, he’s doing good, not much different.
We saw Dale, he is also doing good, he come out the woods and we all
there talking with him and introducing Elder Bassett and then, Dales
like “that sound is driving me nuts!” So we followed him which wasn't
such a good idea because we then found ourselves trekking through the
woods while dale was after a bear or a coyote or something 😂😂so we..
hunted? Naa, we where bystanders haha

General Conference was way good! Really loved it! The talks where
inspired and the messages where for everyone.
We will see you again Elder Hales, much love ❤️

This week was also full of meetings..
but I'm looking forward to the future! This transfer is gonna be
awesome! I’m excited to hopefully baptize someone and hang out a bunch
with elder Bassett!


Con amor de Elder Vogel