Come and I will make you fishers of men

Elder Fogg Mode - Ben Mode

Well this is going to be the last one. As I was thinking of a title for this one I thought of a couple of things... «A sick way to end», «If you are called to lay down your life, die like a man» (Joseph Smith) or «blood and guts». I'll let you guys decide what is the best for this last one.

This week, I got sick. It was annoying to end the mission this way but today I have am better. (hence the titles). We had to stay home Saturday. It was hard staying home and not working. It just goes to show how much of a privilege it is to serve the Lord and how little time we have to do it. At any moment, it could be taken from us. 

I have had a great time on my mission. I have learned a ton. I have grown. At times it hurt, at times it was bliss. As I have come to the end, my mission president asked me what I learned from my mission.  At that time, I had not thought too much.  After that question, I have pondered and I have learned a ton. The only way that I could have learned all that stuff was here on this mission. Yesterday, a sweet sister asked me how I was feeling. She asked «Are you feeling sad? Are you feeling excited? Are you confused?» I am very confused. I feel all those and more. I am sad that I am leaving this behind but happy that I will soon be with family and friends again. Thanks so much for the support and the prayers. I was called to serve by a prophet of God. I heard the voice and did the best I could have done. I hope the Lord consecrates my action to him.

Élder Fogg

Pics

I, thankfully, still have 2 more weeks to throw myself into the Lord's service

We had Zone Conference this week. That was a sleep robbing adventure. Wow, we left the Azores at 7 or so Wednesday, and we didn't get back until midnight Thursday. Needless to say I was wrecked. Zone conference 1 - Elder Fogg 0. Elder Fogg was eliminated. We usually have our zone conferences here, and President comes with the assistants but what happened this time is that the seventy came (Paul V. Johnson). So we all had to go to Lisbon. 

It was crazy, first of all, we didn't get to Lisbon until about 10 ish and we didn't make contact with the Elders we were staying with until 11 o'clock. But better yet, we walked by a less active on the way home. (Why can't they be found in the normal hours of the day? Why do they have to hide until the dark hours of the night to come out?) Well the Elders with whom we were staying decided to stop an talk to him. Let me tell you again, it's 11 at night more like 11:15 or something because their house was not close to the train station either, and they decided to talk with him. I'm not saying «hey dude what up, it'd be cool if you'd go to church» type of thing, but no more of a «here let's sit down and have a cup of tea, *sip* *sip*, with the pinky extended»type of thing.  (I don't have any hard feelings towards them.... why would you say that?)

Somehow in the wee hours of the morning someone realized that it was actually time to sleep, so someone proposed that we all go home and sleep. I was the first one to second it! Their house was really good but they only had two fans. We were stuck in another room with out a fan. Better yet there was also a street light directly outside our window. What a blessing. Needless to say elder Fogg got no sleep that night. And in the morning we didn't eat breakfast.  The Conference was very spiritual. The spirit was talking so strong that at times I was overcome and had to close my eyes and bow my head. 

I saw every Elder from my group that went to Lisbon that is still on a mission right now. It was fun to talk with them and see how they were doing. I also saw, due to the recent merge of the missions, many other people I haven't seen since the MTC that went to Porto. It's was incredibly funny seeing them and being like «Hey it's been a while, almost 2 years... how was your mission?»

Coming home was even better. We didn't leave Lisbon until 9:00 and that means we didn't get home until midnight. The good thing is that I drove the car home because I have a license from here and the other elders had to stay in Lisbon for one more day.

Going back to Lisbon just showed me a early wake up call. It's ending. The next time I go there will be the last time as a missionary. I, thankfully, still have 2 more weeks to throw myself into the Lord's service with all my might.

Élder Fogg

Pics

Hurricane missed us

So this week was kind of hectic, I don't know why.  It always is and for some reason was again this week. We worked a lot. Alfredo and Maria came to church. We thought Tania was also going to come but she didn't. That's the third week that she's missed in a row, sadness. School started today.  Everyone was really sad that summer ended. It didn't change anything for us so I was pretty indifferent. I heard that BYU won!  Go cougs! There was apparently a hurricane coming our way that barely missed us, and I guess there's another headed for us. I've heard that it's going to miss us. It brings to mind that scripture that Satan with throw his fiery darts (well in this case his ''watery'' darts), but we're out here dodging 'em "Samuel the Lamanite" style. 

We are preparing for a mission tour of Elder Paul V. Johnson of the Seventy. It's going to be in Lisbon, so we are going to be traveling for most of the week. I studied hardcore the gospel of Jesus Christ and some talks that the mission sent us to prepare for the meeting. They were really good. Learned a lot about the Gospel. I liked what I learned about repentance. That it's not just asking God to forgive our sins but that repentance is believing that the Savior performed the atonement and that he has the power to change us. An important part is asking forgiveness but we need to add two other important parts: 1. pleading that he will give us the strength to overcome the weaknesses we have and 2. our best efforts. When we do those two things we receive the grace of Christ which is the enabling power. Personally I have also felt that the spirit will be sent to comfort us and give us strength and reassurance that we will improve.

Élder Fogg

Mario got baptized

Hello,

This week many great things have happened. First and foremost, Mario got baptized. We felt as though he needed another week to be completely ready for baptism. When we passed by his house on Friday the day before his baptism, we asked him what he knew about all the commandments. When we asked him, he gave a response that showed he really had a complete and full understanding. At his baptism, we didn't have that many members that said that they could go. We wanted this to be a special day for him. We talked with some of Paula's Family members to see if they could come. They said that they could. At the baptism we ended up with more nonmembers than members but ehh people liked it. They said I may have been a little too forceful on the baptism but there was no Shamu splash zone, so  think I did a pretty good job.  

The other great thing is that "Saints: A standard of Truth" came out, and is it good. Holy moly, I've downloaded the audio to my pin drive and have been listening to it. Wow, I thought I knew a lot about church history. It's really good and tells the story in an interesting way. I would say that (first you should read the Book of Mormon, and second, you should read "Doctrine and Covenants" and "the Bible" and other standard works and probably the Ensign and General Conference talks and then) Saints. It's really good. 

We are helping all in coming unto Christ.  Hope all is well

Élder Fogg