I might be a Popsicle... 

the coast guard port



January 18th - 25th



Monday - PDay was pretty boring haha didn't really do much. Taught Jean again for abut 20min but that was about it.  Monday's are always a go with the flow kind of day. We had a dinner with the Veralls and I love their energetic family so much to look forward to seeing and doing, love hearing their stories and seeing their kids. Never a quiet or boring moment there, haha always something to do and see.


Tuesday - today we cut our hair and it looks good haha not to shabby for doing it myself haha then studies where long... Very long... We then got up at 6 o'clock and shoveled a lady's driveway out so she can go to the food pantry. We also went there and gave some service, it was super cold!!!! It was a high of 14 degrees!!! Totally okay with it, if it wasn't for the bone cracking winds.. That kills me over bad.. We had a couple dinners with the Broadbents and the Hafens. Love them, sister Hafen is from Brail and she said she's gonna give us a Brazilian treat that we probably won't like haha so.. I'm sacred for what she's gonna make us haha but I love them. The Broadbets kid, Blair, she's like maybe almost 2 and she's the cutest and funniest little girl ever!!! Gosh, jumping, playing, laughing and just a barrel of giggles always a smile on my face when I'm playing with her haha so other than it being blistering cold, we had a.. decent day  not much teaching. Jean fell through today.. Sad.. But we will see him Thursday.


Wednesday - Blistering cold!!! The wind chill again, sucks.. Super cold haha and we where able to watch a live broadcast from some general authorities and a couple apostles teach about member lessons and how important members are. We where able to stop by and see a couple other people and see a less active named Shelly who we now are on step 2 of the addiction recovery program and she seems like she's ready to forever stop and get to go to the temple. Sweet lady, has had a hard life and a very tough week so far, but she will push through it!! Today was a difficult day getting around also, lots of sliding and lots of slipping close to the ice and falling on our butts a couple times. But it's all in a good days work.


Thursday - today we went less active hunting haha that's always fun, we were able to check and see if the people still lived in the address we have and, invite them to learn, awesome day. Mostly that, we didn't see Jean cuz he was in Boston so we don't know when he's gonna get back. Hopefully soon. At coordination meeting, we talked a lot about how we can improve with the members. Lots of ideas there. We did see Vinnie and he's such a boss, love that dude, he gave us a lesson on body language haha that was fun. We also hung out with some teenagers when we where less active hunting and we helped them change a tire on their car. Awesome group of kids, so nice, chilling in 12 degree whether in short sleeves and t shirts haha fun stuff.


Friday - today was a day full of planning, nothing really exciting other than dinner with the Clarks, love the Clarks and I love their hospitality and love. Nothing better than spending a dinner with members you really just love haha we searched for more less actives and their wasn't much success from that. Kinda sad and it was another bone chilling day today. Friday felt like a Friday.


Saturday - so today, we did not feel good at all. We got up and played some basketball and goofed around a tad haha then we tracted on Cole st and the Gogans saved us from becoming walking icicles haha they made hot coco for us and gave us time to thaw out for our lesson with the wrights. They are a really young family like, Bro Wright is only 21 and sister Wright just turned 20 a few months ago haha but they have a wonderfully cute baby girl! She loved us! She's all smiling and bouncing and giggling haha she's so cute!! After an amazing visit with the Wrights, Vinnie took us to get some seafood at Newicks. Our meal had shrimp, clams (Steamers), Scallops and Halibut and boy was it really good!!! He said we will have bugs (Lobster) at his house on PDay because it gets super messy and he says we will ruin our clothes, so he's making that for us in the future haha seafood here is different, kinda sweeter, but good!!! the rest of the night we tracted again out in the 12 degree weather haha blistering wind, bone cracking cold and runny noses everywhere haha what a day, can't wait for Sunday!


Sunday - Jean came to church!!!!!!!!!! That dude is so awesome!! And he loved it!! But he flaked on our appointment haha silly goose. Oh well, we will see him this week hopefully haha we had a dinner with the Allens again and as always, gotta love them, love their stories and how much they love us! Their kid Remington is awesome! He had a handful of saracha dressing and ran around the house screaming haha but he was okay shortly after that, but the look he had on his face was just funny haha poor kid. That's about it for day. We did planning and had to study a few other things. Patriots game was on and it's like a religion out here haha it's as big as soccer is for Brazil, people live eat and breathe the patriots.. But oh well haha I mention Seahawks and I get death looks sometimes haha so good day!!


If there is something that I can take away from this week, it's to always listen to the spirit and always search for answers. Today I've never felt the spirit as long and as strong as I did today. Missionary work isn't easy, its hard hard work, but like any kind of work, it has great rewards. Always keep your mind and options open, humble yourself and always follow the lords council. Today I sang "We'll bring the world his truth (Army of Helaman)" and the spirit that I felt was unlike anything I've ever felt before. For sure had guidance from some special people and being a special soldier for a special army. I'm glad to say that this choice to come here was completely called by God himself and so far it's, up to date, the best decision I've ever made. There's no way I can't ever believe or deny that God lives. He suffered for us, shed innocent blood, died for us and loves us so much that he provided a way for us to be forgiven and live with him again. The ultimate sacrifice was made up out of pure love and humility.


A scripture that helps that is 1 Nephi 19:9 "And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men."


Because of his service, love, humility and charity, he died for us and became our savior. Our redeemer. And our path to true happiness. Even at death, the people that killed him, he said in a prayer, hanging on the cross "Father.. Forgive them for they know not what they do" nothing speaks more power to me than the love he's showed everyone right up to his last breath.


Love you all and hope you learned something awesome!


Soldier of the Army of Aurich
Elder Vogel

 Asian Pastors, church of rock, Haitians and snow.

January 11th - 17th.

Monday - usual P-Day today. Nothing special, we planned, met a couple
people taught a lesson that was ca-bonkers, but we still had a
experience to take away from it.

Tuesday - today was a crazy, tiring day today. We where close in a
couple neighborhoods the whole day. We taught a lady on her porch and
that was pretty interesting. We had a lesson with a less active who
developed a terrible smoking habit over the years and we are now
teaching the addiction recovery program to her. We tracted into some
nice people that really want to learn and see what our lessons are
about. We had dinner with the Allan's and they are a really
cool, young family haha love being with them! I love hearing his
stories about the Air Force, his mission and just the member bonding.
Gonna miss them and their kids Remington and Gabriel when I leave
which hopefully won't be soon! haha

Wednesday - we had a great day today!! We met with Jean and he
accepted baptism!!!!! Holy smokes this is so exciting!! For March
5th!! Gosh this dudes lesson was amazing, spirit was so strong there
and we are just beaming with joy!
District meeting was cool, we all were clearly tired haha and Elder
Liljenquist was sick, so it wasn't the best but it was still well
planned and good. Pretty awesome day and I can't wait to see what the
rest of this week brings.

Thursday - today I was a complete spazz for a good portion of the day
haha I woke up, had breakfast and studies for 3 hours straight and I
just lost it haha I felt like a fat kid on a sugar high who just drank
coffee spiked with Red Bull haha I was ca-bonkers!! The elders have nerf
guns because some of the elders carry them on p days and sometimes we
have some crazy wars going on in the church. No one does them here in
Portsmouth... So in my lunch hour I made a big lunch and modified my
little nerf gun haha my mind was going 300 mph in a 45mph zone, I was
flying!!! After we released our cabin fever, we went to go teach Jean
again haha this dude is on fire for baptism! He's just doing great,
he's following all his commitments, being completely honest and he
shares stories about the earthquake in Haiti because he's a survivor of
that. He recognized that through his trials, he was guided here at this
point in time to know God better and that is what he's doing. He's
just fantastic haha we see him again Sunday. We went and did some
tracking where, my mind was racing again, and we tracted into a Asian
pastor of his own church and made my mind go from 300mph to a sudden
halt.... The stuff this dude was saying made absolutely zero sense...
He's from the church of "Rock".... So much nonsense that I questioned
where I was and I may or may not have started drooling, this dude was
just nuts... Elder Carlson said after that one, he almost questioned
if he was a boy or not haha. This Asian dude talked about God's kingdom,
how we are never going to make it there and how master Shifu will one
day see Jing Wae, train tigress, beat up Po, steal monkeys cookies and
have a tea party with Tilung.... This dude went on for about 20 min..
I literally felt 20 min of my life just pass by.. Kinda like Harry
Potter when the Dementors are sucking his face.... I'm pretty sure
that killed like 3 years off my life. But who cares, that's what makes
the mission haha ...and he took a book or Mormon lol score!! Anywho, we
went to Chris's house, a member, and just chatted about concerns he
had. Chris is in the coast Gaurd, a lot of people in Portsmouth are in
the coast Gaurd, why?? Because the base is right off the coast from us.
haha So he's hooking us up with some goodies haha love him. We then
went to a members home who, next week is gonna get us some bugs!
(Lobsters) I can't wait! This dude knows how to cook and I'm ready!!
Haha bugs and steak, his favorite!! After that, we spent the rest of
the night with the Gogans. Always a great place to wind down haha love
them. If my mind was a car, it would be the best performance car in
the world. It took quite the beating today. Wonder what will happen
tomorrow haha

Friday - Today was a day that we did a lot of finding and setting
stuff up with people. A lot of tracting and a dinner with some
members. Love their story and how the missionaries came into their
life at the right time. We then had an exchange with the Exeter Zone
Leaders, Elders Johnson and Young. Pretty simple day.

Saturday - The exchange went great, I was with Elder Young and we did
some tracting and we where able to see some members haha there are some
amazing people here in Exeter. Learned a lot and I was able to help
with some members needs. This morning we had 2 inches of snow. Elder
Young and I had to dig the car out and we came pretty close to
wrecking the cars. .. But the lord protected us and people even came
to help tow us out hahaha. The snow here is very moist and just like
Washington, it freezes, the snow turned to ice and melted and turned
into more ice.. Getting crazy and our cars may get grounded... We will
see... After that we went back to Portsmouth. Pretty good day, not to
shabby.

Sunday - Sunday was an interesting day. We went to meet some members
and an investigator came to church! So happy about that. We went to a
dinner with the Smiths and their story about their son is very heart
warming to know that they turned to God for the trials they endured.
Lots is changing and everything is getting better in time. People are
adjusting to change and getting a feel for it. In time things will
resolve. But a good day. Over night we got about 4 inches of powdery
snow! Kinda scared haha don't know what to expect!!

Elder Vogel

Getting challenging, water and ice

Please keep Matt in your prayers this week. its been a hard week for him.

January 3rd - Jan 10th

Monday - it was PDay and more specific it was District PDay. We played
lots of games and had fun as a district, love them! All our
appointments fell through today so teaching, not a good turn out. But
we have the whole week ahead of us. We exchanged and my district
leader Elder liljenquist came over so it was awesome!!

Tuesday - we volunteered at the food bank and had a wonderful time
meeting some new people that work there. Love the hospitality there.
We also where able to go meet some old potentials and teach a lady
named Deborah, she's so kind and we helped get her started on the Book
of Mormon and finding for herself if this church is true. We later
street contacted and had an amazing dinner with the Busseys, they are
an older couple but full of love and compassion. Love them. We street
contacted but nothing good came of it, another miss. This is beginning
to seem like a boring twilight scene. All the good stuff happened now
I'm waiting and working hard for the climax, the best part of
everything. It's still early on in the transfer, working had, staying
focused the best I can. Keep me in your prayers.

Wednesday - district meeting was smaller today. Different when you
don't have sisters there haha way to distracted. They keep us on task.
But it was a great meeting, lost of stuff was said and new goals and
ways to do transfers and also exchanges. The mission is definitely changing a
lot. We tracted into a man who spoke Greek and was deaf... No progress
there so we are going to see his wife on a different day. haha. Today is
looking a little better but we need to stay focused and keep
searching for those who are ready to hear the word. Had a dinner with
the johnsons and it went good, felt the spirt and was able to share
about Christs Atonement for us. We also want and saw Robert, who is
struggling with some problems of his own and set a time tomorrow to
see him, we will see how this goes. Hopefully he will come and see we
are trying to really help him.

Today we found out that in March, the MTC is going back to 3 weeks for
English speaking missions instead of 12 days and now the mission will
be a week longer just to adjust to the timing the missionaries will be
out. So I'll be home November 4th or 5th. it was supposed to be
October 30th. So awesome!! A week longer in the field!

Thursday - today was a busy day, we went to sister Ritzos house and
shoveled snow. Took about an hour because all the snow melted then
froze and it's harder than rock, But we where able to get that
cleared out for her. We later taught Robert who is solving old
problems and rigged to wean from old addictions. He's doing pretty good
but keep him in your prayers because he is struggling hard. We then
went to Amber's house, Vincent, who is a member, talks and talks, but
his stories from serving in the military are sweet to listen too haha
he's going to take Elder Carlson and I out for lobster and steak next
weekend!!! Can't wait!! Elder Carlson and I are planning to go in a
submarine! It's old, retired and a museum now, that's gonna be awesome
on PDay haha never seen one of those in person. That was pretty much
our day and we ended it with a dinner at the Gogans and like always, I
love being with their family. So much excitement and to talk about
haha their kids are awesome too, love them. Good day, tomorrow we are
planning on tracting to find more people, prayers needed, it's getting
tricky! But we are doing the best we can!!

Friday - we got up this morning and walked into downtown and I slipped
on ice and hit pretty hard and slid down a while to my utter death.. I
jacked up my left thumb, it hurts, it bled for a little bit, and the
blood froze.. Not sending pictures of that haha so as I'm limping
along trying to still talk to people I slip on ice again, do the
splits and slide right down under a truck.. All before noon.. Lol
needless to say, I'm pretty sore. We planned and had a great lesson with
a family named the Mathews, awesome young family and we taught
the Allen family. They are an awesome member family with so much
potential, brother Allen looks like Taner Foust haha it's awesome!!
Well that's about it, lots of driving and lots of planning today.

Saturday - today has also started off with a lot of planning. Lots of
calls made and since everything in the mission is changing, we are
setting up exchanges and meetings and still trying to fit in with
teaching time. It's crazy all the missionaries have to do. We met a
lady, didn't get her name haha oops, but she is a part of the "High
Church of England" which I guess is really close to a Roman Catholic.
Kinda cool to hear her beliefs and where she comes from. Talked to her
for about 30 min. Funny lady, anyway, we met a couple other people and
set times to see them for Sunday. We were on our way to see someone and we
tracted into a guy named mark, he's black, and about 8 other friends
of his, who all are from Phili, DC and Chicago haha this is gonna be
awesome, most of them come from a baptist background, bunch of awesome
guys and they looked at me and said "Our Mormon brotha is here" haha
can't wait to see them tomorrow!! That's about it for today, very
eventful and fun haha

Sunday - I gave a talk on repentance in church today! Went super well!!
The ward loves us! After church, Elder Carlson and I walked to some
peoples houses and the rain today was terrible.. It made Washington
look bad, we where soaked from head to toe haha and the streets where
flooding and running with rivers.. While we where walking, I walked in
what seemed like normal puddle and it went ankle deep.. In wool
socks.. Not awesome haha but anyway, we met a guy named Mark and he is
from Haiti! He is living with his family and they all speak French and
whatever else language they speak down their haha but him and his
cousin Jean are awesome dudes! So ready to learn! Love them!! We had a
dinner with the Simms and their family is so full of energy and they
love us so much!! They always ask about stuff and they really take the
time to know us. They made potato soup. So needed that after swimming
laps in the streets haha

This week I learned a lot about being obedient. As hard as it was,
going days with no success, I truly felt the lord help us this week,
we are following the spirit and looking for opportunities to always
serve and bring others to Christ. All the new changes in the mission
are getting hard and difficult to follow with, but it's definitely for
the better for the missionaries and for the investigators. Change is
always good, especially in a mission and Pres Stoker is a man called
by God to lead this mission. I gonna miss the Stokers when they leave,
but I can't wait to see what the mission becomes!

Love you all and hope to hear from you soon!

Elder Vogel

Happy New Year

December 29th - Jan 3rd 2015

Monday - well. Pretty sad day. Didn't buy anything, packed for
transfers. Not really excited because I really liked it and was
getting use to this area, but the Lord wants me somewhere else. Just
gotta keep my chin up! Gonna miss Elder Pace and Elder Millet!

Tuesday - transfers!! I'm in Portsmouth Maine/ New Hampshire! I'm
right on the coast and the border! I go over a bridge to New Hampshire
for all my lessons. I'm with Elder Carlson and he's a football and
rugby player from pleasant grove Utah. Pretty cool dude. We shoveled
snow today, it's cold, it's wet, you can feel the snow freeze and we
dug out our car about 3 times in a few hours. Pretty crazy!! But we
where able to teach a recent convert today. This area is nicer than
Bangor, but a whole different environment. There's not really any
solid investigators here, just a lot of less actives. So we will be
hunting and starting from brand new pretty much, Elder Carlson has
been here for only a transfer. So we will be learning together! I'm
excited! New Hampshire is so different than Maine! Can't wait to meet
my new district! Elder Millet is still in Bangor as a zone leader and
Elder Pace is the new Assistant to the president! We're split all over
the place! Haha pray for me! The apartment has no dishwasher, laundry
mat is 20min drive away haha awesome!

My new address is 5A Commercial street Kittery Maine 03904 and will be
for a while haha

Wednesday - we had a great day!! Since we aren't very busy in the
area, we are killing downtown! We are meeting a lot of people and
setting stuff like crazy! Haha we had a awesome lesson with the
Cummins family. We met them by going to see a member, Chris, who is on
fire, and we where walking to his house and they where super nice,
super friendly and we taught the whole family about the restoration
and it was a solid, spiritual lesson. No contention, all sharing
testimony, interest and differences. After we got in the car we
screamed and bounced like a couple of girls that just talked to their
crush!! Lol we where so excited!!! Super nice family! Willing to learn
and I hope we hear from them again!! The district is awesome, zone
leaders are sweet, district leader is in a trio and we only have 1
pair of sisters who are awesome! Love it!

Thursday - today was not a very productive day. We tried super hard to
find people, but no luck. We both where out of it. We prayed hard to
find inspiration, but the field wasn't ready to harvest today. That's
alright, days like these are definite faith builders and we just need
to work harder tomorrow. I met the ward mission leader and he's super
funny ! Love the Gogans. His wife is from Germany, saw what my name is gave
me a hug haha (not allowed) and she said "Bird Bird" haha she asked
where I'm from and I said Seattle Washington and she's like "oh, I
know you don't speak German then" lol she's funny. Pray for us to have
success!! We need people to teach here!!

Friday - today was a very unproductive day again. We street contacted
like crazy and we got 1 return appointment!! But not enough. We also
taught Chris today and he is awesome. Love that dude, he's so ready to
continue progressing!! He's getting ready for the temple and doing all
that he can to improve!!! He's gonna be something amazing one day!
Anyway, long day. Elder Carlson and I haven't been feeling good these
past few days too. Wonder if it's just a mild cold. Keep us I'm your
prayers! And a happy New Years to everyone!! Today we also saw a
Bentley Continental Supersport, a Maserati and a sweet looking BMW M7.
New England is starting to show its colors haha

Saturday - today was a great day!! Early in the morning we were at a
child's baptism, her name was Sofie Vallencort. Sweet little girl, so
excited to be baptized! That was great being there and meeting the
ward members and being apart of something awesome that reminds me of
other baptisms when I was home. We searched through our potentials and
we met a guy named David and he loves and supports the missionaries.
He let us in and we talked for about an hour just about where he is,
why he won't learn, his issues and his concerns. Awesome awesome,
great guy. Then we tried seeing someone with our ward mission leader
Bro Gogan, fell through but we talked for a little bit and bonded
better. I'm happy with what we did today, we where able to talk to
people, set some other stuff up. Productive, awesome.

Sunday - the Portsmouth ward is a nice and friendly ward, love talking
to the people. So humble, so kind and full of potential. We didn't do
a lot of teaching today, lots of studying and calling but it was a
good day today! We taught 4 member families!!!! Oh yes!!! I thought up
in Brewer that I was to busy, but coming to Portsmouth where there
isn't much teaching, it's like a bomb inside me and all I want to do
is teach!! It's so wonderful when I get to finally share the gospel
with someone!! It was awesome!! The verrils are an awesome family! I
love them, they are just as crazy as my family back home, she's an
awesome, outgoing person and he's just funny haha love their kids, all
love each other, 5 boys and a girl haha full of energy and willingness
to learn. They live out in a forest in Eliot and they use it to their
advantage haha always something to do there. We scheduled dinner and
sister verril said we are gonna make art projects and send them home..
Kinda worried cuz it's been several years since I attempted art again
haha but I'm so stoked!! (Or stokered ;) )mission president reference.

The weather is interesting. It snowed and it's all froze now. Not
cold, but not warm. Waiting for a massive snowfall! Haha

Happy New Years everyone! Hope you all had a great day and Happy
Birthday to my brother Sam!! 14! I remember those days haha love you
man! Keep doin what Sams do haha. Dad, I don't know when your birthday
is exactly.. I think it's in a week.. Maybe? Haha but happy birthday
also!! Hope it's awesome and much love from the Portsmouth Elders and
Sister Training Leaders everyone!! (Elder Carlson, Sisters Evans and
Pankratz)

Elder Vogel