OUR MISSIONARY PROGRAM-COOLEST THINGS EVER!

Tue, 31 May 2011

Mom,
You are such a good match maker! Haha, I can't say I remember who that girl is.. [maybe you could send a picture with the graduation pics ;)] That is awesome to hear I might not need any surgery when I get home. If not though, I am hoping my knee will heal someday. It's been almost a year and I still can't run for very long or squat too well. I am capable with all the things I need to do, but you know how much I love sports. Well congrats to Jordan for graduating high school! I look forward to seeing the pictures - I'm not sure about my address, but you can send it through the office 5651 Broad St. Ste. 1 Greendale, WI 53129. The kids out here still have another week, and they are all as excited as you sound. We had such a fun Memorial Day yesterday, probably among the most fun days of my whole mission! There is a family in the ward who has a get-together where hundreds of people go to their home every year, and they always have the missionaries. Tons of food and games and nice people. They had water balloons too, so we left a little bit wet. That is nuts that Jordan will be putting his papers in before I'm home! Hopefully things work out for Jared to have a good environment in California and keep up on his growth and missionary preparation. Hopefully things start working for Hannah to get stronger. She needs to eat some more protein and take her vitamins so she's not so fragile!

So, the week we had been anticipating since I got here happened at church on Sunday. We had our missionary program, in which we distributed the outlines for the family mission plans. They are the coolest things ever. They are less than half a page size and lamenated with magnets on the back to hang on the fridge. There is velchro on the side for a dry-erase marker to stick onto it, which came with it. It gives a place for the family to set a goal each month for what they want to do to improve their missionary efforts. The ward council is excited about it and has plans for follow up and to keep it going through home teaching and in the opening exercises of priesthood and relief society. The sacrament meeting included talks by the bishop, a recent convert couple who were just sealed in the temple last week, another recent convert, the ward mission leader, and the stake president. It went really well!

We taught so many people last week, it even surpised us as week added up our numbers on Sunday. We have been just going out and teaching everyone we meet. We have three people who have said they would be baptized, but so far only one of the three seems serious about it. We are just doing our best to be diligent and searching for those people whom God has prepared. Really though, God has been preparing everyone we talk to in different ways, but some are just more ready and willing to accept it at this time. I swear, some of the craziest people I have ever met live here in Green Bay. These Packer fans are nuts!

It's crazy that Elder Peckham is heading out to go home next week! He is doing good though not getting "trunky". I tease him a little bit though, so that probably doesn't help. We have some good plans for this last week together.

Well I hope everyone has a great week! I will have the Miller family in my prayers and fast this week. You will hear from me again next Monday!

Love,
Elder Vogan

MIRACLES HAPPEN!!

Mon. May 23, 2011

Miracles happen! So according to my MRI, my ACL is fine, which is completely against what I or the doctor out here thought. What is torn though is my posterior meniscus (I didn't know that existed), and my patellar tendon is partially torn. I will need surgery when I return home, but it will only be a scope with a couple weeks recovery, rather than that 3+ month recovery. The doctor out here says that my patellar tendon will heal on its own. So I am really happy about that. Hopefully I can have the surgery after our trip instead of before. (Try to book it closer to the 21st.) I looked at BYU and can't see anything about tuition payments, so you don't need to worry about that.

Well enough of these "home" conversations and to the work. Things are going fairly well here. We are patiently working with our investigators, although none have a set date to be baptized at this point. We are just unleashing a new ward mission plan, which we are excited about. Some of the members in the ward council seem a bit reluctant to set goals or make plans for the missionary effort, but others are excited about it. I know that as those members start working towards their own family goals and following up with the members in their auxiliary stewardships, we will see a huge boost to the work in this area. I hope the family at home has some goals to do missionary work this summer!

I can't think of anything else specifically to tell you about this week. I love you and am grateful for your prayers!

Love,
Elder Vogan