Saying goodbye to Elder Hanson

May 22nd - May 29th

This week has felt really long, but not at the same time.

I don't quite remember what we did on PDay, I think we went to Bangor and hung out one last time with the Bangor district squad! We slept in Brewer that night with Machias elders and the Brewer elders.
We woke up the next morning and we drove down to Newport, where I was working a good portion of the day with Elders Carlson and Branch! Super fun! I got to say goodbye to Elder Boyle, probably last time I'll see him until we are both home, which is fine! Haha he's a goober anyway!

Elder Slaugh and I are getting along super well! I really like him! He's from Vernal Utah and he grew up on a farm, so he's got a sweet farmers accent, and he's a Spanish elder, so we are gonna be working super hard to find those Spanish investigators!

We have already seen so many miracles!

We where walking our first night and guy named William was like "hey Mormons, where are them gold plates?"

And I said "what?" - "yeah the gold plates" - "uhm.. I don't know man, where are they?" - "they're in Utah, I want them" - handing him a book of Mormon I said,"well this is the gold plates In English" - he said,"sick man, thanks" He was a little off, but funny! Skowhegan is in for a treat!

A few days later, we where in a local guitar store and this guy came in, and I sat down and I played the guitar with him and he said he wants to talk, and write a song with me, awesome stuff!

We have had lessons with many of our investigators. One was a guy named billy said that we are dumb for serving missions and we should just get hitched, and it was funny the way he said it.

But we have been having so much fun! I miss the people of Lincoln, and the rest of my areas, I miss my companions and I'm excited to see what Skowhegan has ahead, sorry for the short e mail. I ran out of time.

Love you all!
Con mucho amor deElder Vogel

the district

May 15th - May 22nd

We had a great week!
First I wanna say that I'm being transferred once again! Haha I will be with Elder Slaugh, we will be shotgunning Skowhegan Maine! Gonna be super awesome! We both are Spanish speakers, Skowhegan will be a Spanish branch when we are done! Woohooo!!!

We had a pretty awesome PDay and we played volleyball, we made shirts and we blitzed the crap outta Ellsworth! It was way sweet!

Elder Sobisky and I went and saw Eric St.Pierre, the guy I taught in Ellsworth, he was super happy to see me and he let us right in and started talking with us, he wasn't feeling very good but we shared 3rd Nephi 11:15 with him and talked about our foundation and our belief, how we can also have a sure knowledge that Christ lives. Awesome.

We also tracted into this guy, his name is Derek and he had a 85 chevy, so I was like "dude I love your truck! My friend has a 77 that he built" and we talked about that for a few min and accepted an invitation to learn and we set up for next week! Awesome.

We did service at the Sushkos, we went over and Hermana Sushko asked if we had eaten
breakfast, I said no, so she made us breakfast! Super good, it was some egg, tortilla thing, forgot the name haha but it was really good! We helped them pick up leaves and get the place presentable because they are selling their house and moving to Arizona. Rad stuff.

So when we where almost done, she called us in and we had lunch.

In a Latin American country, lunch is the biggest meal of the day, like dinner is here in America, lunch is for Latin American people, so she made us a huge plate of chicken, bunch of rice, beans, green and healthy stuff with some amazing mashed potatoes. It was SO GOOD! I can't imagine what it's like getting that everyday, I'd be so fat haha I bet all my friends in Argentina, Mexico, and other Latin American places are all just getting the pounds from the food. haha

Anyway, afterwards, we finished cleaning the leaves and we cleaned ourselves up and I got hit really bad with my allergies... like really bad.. so, I went and bought a nasal rinse thing from rite aid, and... holy crap was that weird...

The directions say to gently squeeze the bottle in your nose until it runs out your other nostril, so I did and honestly, if you haven't tried it, you have to at least once, it's probably the weirdest thing you'll ever do, but it's a feeling that you won't get anywhere else haha I was freaking out! And elder Hansen just laughed at me...

We went and did service for a lady named Jenny, where she also had us rake up leaves and she made us a wonderful hamburger and hot dog lunch, it was fabulous! Afterwards, she's like "you can go swimming or go canoing if you'd like" and we where obedient and said we couldn't because it was our rules for being safe and she said "are yours serious? That's beyond not fair to you at all" and elder Hansen said "I can't swim worth a darn, so I also don't want to drown and leave Elder Vogel all alone without a companion, he'd get so lonely. He's almost like a lost puppy without a companion" 😂😂😂😂lol great stuff Elder Hansen haha

We had a dinner this week with the Whitneys, Jim and Jon and Nancy, they fed us pizza again, which is always wonderful, and I said goodbye.

Something that I got to do today was help Mel understand something in church. The thing with some people, is they love their lives and they don't really take in account a lot of what people in the church do. Let me explain.

Mel went on a 15 min or so tangent about less active members and how we should be getting them into church to help them grow and feel loved by others. He expressed his thoughts, and pretty much skipped to the end result, but he didn't take in account our agency, the ability to chose and our role as members.

I continued to share with him what repentance was, how it's a joyful thing and even though it's so simple, it's also super hard to understand, and our agency, weather we use it for good or bad, has a effect on more people then just us.

I continued to explain that Agency is what's keeping people home, keeping people from asking questions and taking an effort to understand the gospel and that's why they are not here.

Our role as members of any faith is to simply invite. That's what the Savior did, he was walking to find Peter James, John, his original apostles and said "come follow me" while some dropped everything and followed him, others said "wait, I have to finish" but he wasn't waiting. He moved on, he found people that make the hard sacrifice, and later became chief apostles of the Savior Jesus Christ.
Nothing is easy, if it was, everyone would do it, life isn't easy, it sucks more times then not.

But it's the times it doesn't suck, that makes it all worth it.

A quote I will always remember will be from Brother Kettle here in Lincoln. He said "if He brought you to it, He can bring you through it" how true that is.

I now continue to my 8th area and 15th companion on my mission. Still 5 months left, I'm curious to see what will happen in the Skowhegan area, I love my mission and I love the people I get to meet and teach everyday. It's amazing what can happen when we put the lord first in our lives. We soon are molded, changed, and soon see it's all for the better. It always is.

I love and miss you all. You're in my prayers.

Con mucho amor deElder Vogel

Farmingdale Maine Zone Conference

Skyping with my family

May 8th - May 15th

This week was busy, but now that I write it, it wasn't to busy... but felt like it.


We spent our weekend in Millinocket, we stayed at the Fugleburgs from Friday to Sunday night.

We walked A TON in the nice weather and we met a family from Tennessee!

We where walking and I saw a 2017 Corvette and Challanger.. NO ONE IN MAINE HAS THAT! So I knocked on the door!

His wife, Amy and one of their 8 children came to the door and we talked for about 30 min, about nothing really important, but, we kept talking and she said we could come back! Yes!!

We also where walking around and contacted another lady and she was super open to the gospel! Forgot her name, but it was great!

Our investigator Lisa dropped us.. dang, so we are going to still keep an eye on her for when she moves down to brewer, gonna be secret agents!

We found another potential family, the guys mame is Tom and he said he was open to it, but he wants his wife and kids to listen in on it, pretty awesome!

We had a lesson with the Libby's, it was an okay lesson, we talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ again and we committed them to start acting and start doing things or we can't be teaching them.. spicy.
Dawn dropped her baptism date, she's not physically well enough so she said once she starts walking she will set another date.

Other than that the week has been going good. The rain has been absolutely ridiculous lately, it won't stop raining! But it's okay, the really nice days we are out walking and contacting a bunch!

I had a wonderful opportunity to Skype my family for Mother's Day! I got to see the whole Fam and grandma! It was wonderful! I'm super excited to see them again, but I still have a while, not really.. only 6 months haha 😂 but I wanted to wish all the moms a happy Mother's Day and I appreciate all you do!


Love you all, have a fabulous week!
Con mucho amor deElder Vogel

talking to college students at the University of Maine

what the heck does Elder Hanson have

 Elder Vogel and Elder Sobisky

The flight group

May 1st - May 8th

This week was a wild and crazy one!

We spent most of the week in Bangor. We went on exchanges and I was with Elder Sobisky AGAIN! Freaking love that dude.

We went and tried to see investigators and try to get some stuff done in Bangor. But nothing.

So the next day we got up, we went out and had lunch, and we both felt we needed to go back to Lincoln.

So off we went. Back to Lincoln.

We got in and shared a lesson with Paige and Larry and katlyne. They are doing okay. Struggling to keep commitments, but we are working hard.

We shared about staying spiritually fit and we committed them to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, so let's hope they do it.

We also saw Helen, she's old and feeble and wanted to meet another time, classic.

We went and saw Jay and Kelly, who, still don't want to get married, so we shared about our priorities and had a great discussion about what's important. It was good, the spirit was strong and I feel we got something going.

We also went out to millinocket and saw brother Hamlin, he's doing okay, we helped him with this computer and getting the gospel library app to work.

We also stopped and talked to Renae and Terry, they are also doing great! They are reading and progressing and wanting to come to church! So we are working on getting them a ride.


Exchanges was good, got lots done, but on Thursday we drove all the way down to Augusta for zone conference.

It was all about finding and getting investigators to church. It was pretty good, very informative, very inspiring. Can't wait to use some of this in Lincoln!

The weekend, we stayed at the Fuglebergs and we got there super late, but we stayed the night and got to work the next day.

We saw the Sushkos and Hermana Sushko and I talked about our foundation in Helaman 5:12 and she was explaining hers and how she needs to have faith with the choices her daughter is making. She's moving down to Arizona with her boyfriend who is a convict, classic. So we talked about how God has a plan and with faith we can accomplish his tasks and know what to say and do to our family members and to see his hand more in our lives.

We also went to try and see other people, but none answered.

We had a great lesson at the Harmons! Their daughter Alex, she invited a friend to learn from us! It was wonderful!

We started with a great lunch, meatballs with mashed taters and corn, ''twas great eating.

After, we went into the living room and taught Rebecca the restoration! She's so knowledgeable about the gospel! She opened up, she didn't have any questions, she understood and she loved it. A miracle with that is, before we started we explained we needed permission from her parents and she said "oh they don't care, they are totally supportive of me doing this and I'm pretty interested" SO BAM! Awesome!

The weather out here just sucks.. it's literally rained for about 25 days of the 30 on the month.

This weekend it was really dumping, like I thought we where in a hurricane or something. My hair was soaked, my raincoat was soaked, all we where missing was our shampoo and we would have been good haha

It's all good tho, we are hitting more 50s and 60s weather, starting to get nice instead of seeing snow. The grass is turning green, we are getting blue skies for maybe an hour and the rest is overcast and windy.

Just like home

The work is moving. The more obedient we are, the greater the reward God has for us. I'm grateful for the chance I have to serve here, it's fun, it's hard, but it's super rewarding. Lincoln is making me think more outside the box with things, and that's new to me, so I have to start using my imagination. Pray for me! Haha

Love you all, thanks for all you do!
Con mucho amor deElder Vogel

                                                                           

April 24th - May 1st

More productive week, but not really by much.

We taught the Libby's the gospel of Jesus Christ and they had a friend named Katelyn over who is living with them for a while. Awesome lesson. New investigator!

We went back the next day to see them, It wasn't to productive unfortunately, so we kinda left early.

We had a lesson with Mel at the Golden Jade, which is a Chinese buffet.. it was aight I guess, then no more then a hour afterwards, the Thurlows take us there for lunch! Ugh, I got so sick haha borderline throwing up.. but that's okay.

We went to the Thurlows house to go home teaching and to visit some people out in Lee, and we got a little distracted at their house haha

We went over and we threw some axes around like a bunch of kids! It was way fun! He showed us some bears he carved from his chainsaw, we took turns throwing his competition axe, that was super Fun!

Afterwards we went and visited a less active lady, sister Jordan, who is wonderful. We talked about her baptism and how she still can be great example to others! Awesome!

We taught Jay and Kelly, The firemen, they are doing good. Slow progression, we shared about the commandments and how we can continue to grow through them. It was good stuff, they said they would try and make it to church. But didn't.

We had a visit with a prospective elder named Steve. He's a really nice guy, just a bit confused on some stuff. He believes that each religious belief is like a form of reality, in which case, no one really knows which one is the real one, so we tried to explain things, but no budge. Then he said "so what's your strategy for getting me back to church. Convince me" haha we said where not here to convince you. That's not our job, that's the spirit.

So we continued to teach that and he liked it. He didn't come to church, but he's more than willing to meet with us again, then we helped him move some stuff for a business he is making.

Anyway, something that I realized was that I have hit my 18 month mark! Holy crap... I honestly can't believe I have been out a year and a half.

As I reflect on my last 18 months, something that I can definitely take away is my absolute love and trust in Heavenly Father.

Before my mission, I honestly could care less about the church and anything to do with it, but on my mission, through such hard times, and such crazy times, I've never had to put so much trust in Heavenly Father.

My undying love for the people here in New England keeps me going, and my confidence that I will be guided to people through Heavenly Father.

I remember when I was walking in Portsmouth with my companion, and I felt to walk down this specific street, no idea what would happen, but I did anyway. As we where walking, I felt to knock on one door, just a regular door, and when I did, we both had a wonderful experience with a guy who changed our lives, the Lord guides us.

Another time, when I was walking the streets of Manchester, elder Owens and I tracked into a guy who served in Vietnam and cried profusely to us. Love engulfed us, lives changed again.

It's amazing to see how the lord changes us, I never wanted to talk to people I didn't have a prior knowledge about, but I love hearing people's stories. Truly changed my heart.

These next 6 months, are going to continue to change me, I know he will do it. I love you all.


Con mucho amor deElder Vogel