Monday, December 13, 2010 New Companion: Elder Galcia from Peru

Dear Family,

This week was absolutely incredible. At the first of the week my companion Elder Hunter left and I got my second Latino companion named Elder Galicia. He is from Peru and is crazy. I love him! We are having a good time in Pocito and I am learning a lot from him. This week we have been working a lot to get to know the area and getting to know each other. I have been learning a lot this week. Really I have been learning a lot about being calm, relaxed and being yourself. We had a stake conference on Sunday in the which President Lindahl spoke. He bore strong testimony of the atonement of Jesus Christ and the power that it has in our individual lives.

I learned what it is like to have integrity. The stake president said something about integreity that I thought was very interesting. He said that integrity is being able to live with yourself at the end of the day with decisions that you make. Integreity is a personal commitment to do what we know is right and to adhere to certain principles and guidelines.

It`s so fun to be here on the mission and I look forward to speaking to all of you at Christmas. Until next week,

Love, Ben

Monday, December 6, 2010 Ben can make adobe bricks now!! Way to go Ben!!

Sweet Bruise from running to the bus stop!!












Elder Hunter making Adobe Bricks!!











Ben making adobe bricks!












Ben, Elder Hunter, and Gloria
at her baptism! The mother of
Juan Carlos.







Hi Family!

It was good to hear from those who wrote me this week. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers, I really feel them and they help me to push on and do my best.

This week Umberto has been a little bit difficult to get a hold of and we have not got a hold of mi nueva amiga either. But we`re working hard and having fun out here in Pocito.

This past Saturday morning we got the chance to go make adobe bricks to help out a less active family in the ward. It was fun, as i have never had the chance to make adobe bricks before. It was interesting as they make these bricks to sell to make a living. The father has had back problems lately and the son had a injured foot when we got there to help so I was grateful for the opportunity to help them.

We had interviews with President this week as well as training from the assistants that has really helped me perfect my goal-setting techniques. It`s helped me focus my efforts and use my time more effectively. It was also really good to have an interview with President as it seems like every time I leave his office after interviews I leave the office with a new vision of things and a new way of coping with the problems (we like to call them opportunities) that we face every day. President is a man with a lot of wisdom and I feel blessed to have the association that I have had with him.

I`m still learning a lot about not pushing people and letting people have their agency. I know it`s a big principle to learn because we want so much for others to have happiness, but the truth of the matter is that no one can have happiness unless they choose to do so. I may have a million dollars the nicest car in the world and the biggest mansion in the world, but I may not have happiness because I don`t look for it. It really is a personal choice for each and every one of us.

Transfers are this week. I am staying in Pocito and Elder Hunter is leaving, I don`t know who I will be getting as a companion. We will see in a couple of hours.

I love all of you and at this Christmas time, take time to reflect on the Savior and all He has done for you in your life. I know He has affected me in more ways than I will be able to count. Have a wonderful day and I`ll talk to you in 19 days! Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment.

Love, Elder Hoglund

P.S. One picture is of a sweet bruise I acquired when me and my companion were running to catch a bus 2 weeks ago and I tripped and fell. It would be nice to have a movie of that wouldn’t it? :)

One of the pictures is of Elder Hunter, Gloria, and I at her baptism.

The other pictures are of us working in the mud making the adobe bricks.