PREPARE NOW TO SERVE
March 2015
Today in Sacrament Meeting a recently returned Sister Missionary spoke. She talked on a few things that we can do to prepare ourselves for a Mission. I was especially intrigued since we are preparing several future Missionaries in our home! Here were her "tips:
1. Love God
2. Love Others
3. Sever Others
4. Gain a Testimony of your Own
5. Invite Others
She was originally called to serve in Brazil but she had issues with her Visa and so she never made it (and was reassigned to the Pocatello, Idaho Mission).
A NEW CALLING
August 2015
written by August: This is my first calling (besides Quorum Presidency callings I've had throughout the YM program) and when Brother Rose called me in to talk I had a feeling I was going to be called as
a Primary teacher and was kind of dreading that, but when he told me I was going to be a Ward Missionary, I felt a little better. So far, my calling has included going out many times with the missionaries. I really like going out with the missionaries and the spirit
I feel when I'm with them and in other peoples homes. I've personally given out The Book of Mormon 3 times over the past few months while going with them and 1 of those was just the other day when I went out with them.
I was set apart as a Ward Missionary today by Brother Harold Rose (1st Counselor in the Bishopric). The points listed below are taken directly from the blessing I was given:
* Blessed me to understand how Missionary work "works"
* Blessed me with a strong spirit and as I go about teaching and sharing, that I will understand how the Spirit works and that I may be guided by the Spirit and to recognize it
* Blessed me to be able to be a Part-time Missionary now and as I move forward to prepare and become a full-time Missionary that I will be able to run quicker as I get on with my Mission and that I may be able to understand the doctrines and principles and help many to come unto Christ.
* Blessed me to be mindful of those around me and that I will be able to open up my mouth and be able to share the gospel to whomever I come into contact with - that I may have a great light about me and to know that through me obedience that the Spirit may be the strongest in my life.
* Blessed me to understand the Atonement better and to come closer to Christ and that I will be able to share that knowledge with others in a way that will be able to touch their hearts
* Blessed me to continue to be a great example in my family and that I'll be able to share my experiences with my family and to uplift them. I will teach them about Missionary work and the blessings it brings.
I HOPE THEY CALL ME ON A MISSION
Jan 2016
After fasting and praying, Seth has decided to leave on his mission this summer and met with the Bishop to start his Mission Papers!!! You can submit your application 120 days before your eligibility date (which for Seth is his 18th birthday on June 14th) so his goal is to have everything in by February 15th. He came home and began the paperwork immediately!
Here is a brief rundown of the entire process:
1. Meet with the Bishop to express your desire to go and have a worthiness interview
2. Complete the online application (very thorough and took a couple of hours to fill out)
3. Have a Physical with a Dr
4. Have a Dental Exam to see if there are any oral problems that might affect serving (especially if going to another country where Dentist aren't readily available... the typical result is a recommendation to have prospective missionary's wisdom teeth out)
5. Meet again with the Bishop to go over all of the completed application
6. Meet with the Stake President for a final interview and actual submission of the application
7. You receive your call from church headquarters approximately 2 weeks after submission (so we should know where Seth will serve his Mission by the end of February!)
So after completing all of the online portions, we knew getting all of the medical and dental appointments is what would hold us up in the process (especially here in Minot - you cannot ever get an appointment earlier than 2-3 weeks out!!) and we were a bit nervous about this (seeing as how we are on a deadline with moving and wanting to have his call before we leave). However, we were able to get an appointment for the Dr for NEXT week (unheard of!) and an appointment with the Dentist on February 9th (still a bit further out than what we wanted, but didn't have any other choice)... that night I (mom) pleaded to Heavenly Father in my prayer that I was stressing about his Dentist appointment being so far out and if He could help out, I'd really appreciate it! Well, wouldn't you know it, the VERY next morning I woke up to a text from that dentist office reminding me of my appointment in 2 days and so I immediately contacted them and asked if I could give Seth my appointment time and take his on February 9th and they say YES!! What a tender mercy from the Lord!! We are all so very proud of Seth and his willingness to serve the Lord for the next two years (and we will miss his sooooooo very much!!!!) It's all happening so very fast!!!
SETH RECEIVES HIS CALL
June 2016
Elder Vogt
Sept 2016
So today for the Spiritual Speaking, It's me Seth talking. So I recently was set apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and I leave bright and early Wednesday morning to begin this great and wonderful service. It's been one big great and wild ride. I received my call to serve 100 days ago today, and in that time I worked a summer Job, became an ordinance worker at the Billings Montana Temple, which was a wonderful and amazing experience. In addition I managed to spend a lot of valuable time with my family. I guess for going I feel really nervous and anxious, but also I know that this is the right thing for me to do, and that I and my family will be blessed and protected as I go out and serve. I know I will be able to bless the lives of many people, and will strive to do my best as I serve down in Nicaragua. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen
This week we truly had some wonderful Spiritual Experiences! The night before Seth left, we wanted to have a special Family Home Evening. This last night together as a family turned into 3 hours of pure awesomeness!! We talked together, discusses gospel principles together, laughed together. sang songs together and cried together. The Spirit was strong and beautiful in our home that night. Dad had felt impressed to have those that wanted to, to share their Patriarchal Blessings. The Spirit witnessed to each of us the truthfulness of the words that were shared. Ben was particularly touched when hearing August's blessing and told him (through tears) that he knew August was going to have awesome kids in the future and that he really felt that he should go on a mission. Seth also felt that and said "The Spirit is telling me to blunt with you and tell you that you should go on a Mission." Of course dad and I were feeling the same thing but August already has heard it from us, and I think it was good to hear the heartfelt pleas of his brothers. Of course whatever path August chooses - we will love him and support him in all that he does! We have been truly blessed with wonderful children! As we continued on, Dad gave Seth a Fathers Blessing. It was a beautiful blessing and gave my mamma heart such comfort! He asked that I type it up and send it to him at Christmas time - so I'll include that in a later blog post... but I did want to include the words that the Stake President (Pres. Zaugg) pronounced upon him when he was set apart as a full time missionary last week:
* The Rights, Power and Priveledges of a Full Time Missionary were bestowed upon him
* Blessed with an added measure of the Spirit as he serves
* The Spirit will inspire and direct him in any questions he might have or need to learn
* Blessed to pick up the Spanish Language and to speak it
* Blessed with Charity - he will have love for those he serves. they will see the love and concern in his eyes and they'll want to learn from him
* He will have Marvelous Experiences
*Utilize the Priesthood - he will bless people's lives and was counseled to take every opportunity to use it
* He will have great companions that will inspire and lift him - and he will do the same for them
* Counseled to write down the marvelous experiences he has. He will see miracles happen and people's lives change. Share those experiences with your family.
* Search, Ponder and Pray about the Scriptures. Teach them in a simple and understandable way
* Heed the Mission Presidents words and also the words of his wife - they will be a beacon of hope to him
* Blessed with Health and Strength and the ability to make right decisions
* Blessed with Protection. Listen to the Spirit and it will keep you out of harms way.
* Counseled to serve with all his Might, Mind and Strength
and the final words given in the blessing were "Humble yourself and be His Servant."
Overall I think we've all done fairly well with saying our Farewells to Seth - sometimes when I think of it - my heart aches to think of TWO FULL YEARS passing before being able to see him again - but then I'm overcome with such a peaceful feeling and I'm so happy for Seth and his willingness to serve the Lord and the sadness is pushed aside and filled with peace and comfort.
BLESSINGS FROM SERVING
Sept 2016
Everyone tells you to be watchful of the blessings that come with a Missionary out serving the Lord. We are always blessed (which is why I feel it's important to do the "Spiritually Speaking" each week so that we are mindful of the Lords hand in our daily lives). There are 2 blessings that happened this week that I want to remember:
1) Unbeknownst to me, I was driving on a flat tire (not 100% flat but very, VERY low on air). As I was taking Ben to Football, we were stopped at a stop sign and all of a sudden there was a person at my window telling me my tire was almost flat! I thanked her and immediately went to the nearest gas station where they had free air for tires. While I was filling it up, another woman was parked next to me and told me that a tire place down off of 32nd and King would do free patch repairs on tires. I thanked her and went on my way. After dropping both boys off at their practices, I noticed my tire was low again and saw that there was a piece of metal (turned out to be a screw) in the tire and it was continually loosing air. So I went back to the gas station and filled it up again to be able to make it to that tire place for a repair. I get to the tire place and apparently since I'd been driving on it with such low air pressure, the inside seam had ripped and while they could patch the hole from the screw, they couldn't fix the seam. They had a used one that was usable for $25 or a new one for $110. I told them I'd take the used one and then get new tires soon (so that I wouldn't have one that wore differently than the others). I was feeling quite good for being fixed and on my way for only $25 but when I went to pay - he said he wouldn't charge me and just sent me on my way! That night as I was loading the dishes and pondering about the events of the day and feeling so grateful that we were kept safe with the van and that the tire place didn't charge me anything the distinct thought came to my mind that this was a direct blessing from having Seth serve the Lord!
2) Since the day Seth left, the business at Rain For Rent has dramatically increased! In fact just at the beginning of September they were talking about having to shut down the Gillette, Wyoming branch because there wasn't any work to do and they couldn't sustain a branch there. Well, all of that changed this week and now there is an ABUNDANCE of work in Gillette! So much in fact, that dad is heading down there for this next entire week and he says the work is booked out solid until next year at this point! Incredible! What a tremendous blessing for us AND the company!
AIRPORT CALL
Oct 2016
As mentioned above, we were able to talk to Seth this week for a bit!! He had purchased a Calling Card at the MTC store and our call came in shortly after 7am. We quickly woke up all of the kids and we all gathered on our bed around the phone that was on speaker so we could all hear. Unfortunately, our connection wasn't the best and we were having to yell for him to even hear us and it was equally as hard for us to hear. Then all of a sudden in the middle of a sentence, the call disconnected! We all just sort of looked at each other in disbelief - so I (mom) quickly hit "redial" and called back the number he had called from. It was busy. We all just sat there for a couple of more minutes waiting for him to call us back and frantically saying silent prayers that our chatting could resume with him! Then I felt impressed to call the number back again (thinking since it was a public payphone that we'd never get him back on the line)... and it began ringing this time! I was hopeful! Then a sweet female voice answered - and I asked if this was the SLC airport, to which she replied that it was!! I then explained how we were talking to our son and had been disconnected and was trying to get a hold of him again but it seemed like he was gone and no longer there (since she answered and not him)... she then surprised me and said "Are you Elder Price's mom?" (at this point I was quite hopeful as Elder Price was Seth's roommate and so I was at least talking to someone who probably knew him!) So I told her that I was actually Elder Vogt's mom and she said that he had left but would send someone to go track him down... Long story short, they found him and we were able to chat a bit more! He said he had tried calling us right back but the card said that it had "insufficient funds" (even though there were 100's of minutes on it!). The best part of the 2nd call was that it was a very clear and loud connection! We felt so blessed and knew it was a tender mercy from the Lord that we were able to get back in touch with him. (side note: I think this was the first time Seth had ever used a payphone and he told us that he "pushed on a lever and we were gone!" hahaha - I'm just glad he knew how to use the calling card and was able to call us!).
MOTHERS DAY SKYPE CALL WITH ELDER SETH VOGT
May 2017
Despite not having the best connection (we got disconnected several times - due to either his power going out or the internet being troublesome) and sometimes the video was laggy and the audio didn't work very well (at which point we resorted to writing what we wanted to say onto paper and holding it up for him to read)... but even with all of those inconveniences - we had a WONDERFUL time chatting with our sweet Seth! Each of the kids got some one-on-one time with him (and Lexi even performed one of her Irish jigs for him!). Here's some of the highlights of our time together...
* He is looking great! He looked genuinely happy and confident in where he was
* He's down 35 pounds since arriving to the country in November
* He looks for the good in everyone (especially in his companions)
* He will be getting a new apartment in 2 weeks. Right now they are paying $80/month (for their place that is almost unlivable!) and so he's really excited to move into a much nicer one (that will rent out for $100/month)
* His Shoes are worn out
* Favorite area so far has been Managua (and he'd like to go back)
* Now that he's back in San Ramon no one is cooking meals for them - so he says he just has bags of cereal, bags of milk and eggs (but they are actively looking for someone to cook for them...so hopefully soon!)
* Same with their Laundry - they are looking for someone to hire. He also mentioned that he's had to wash his clothes by hand (if they can't find a washing machine somewhere)
* Has eaten BBQ Iguana and he liked it
* He really likes the Mission President. He said that he is always happy and smiling and he very much respects him
* Even though the country isn't all that large, it has 5 different climates throughout it (he's currently in the mountainous "cold" (if you count 80's as cold) climate and he likes that!
* Lots of Street vendors (and every other house sells food out of their home)
* Can sometimes roll his "r's" (moreso when he's not thinking about it)
* Thinks in both English and Spanish
* They are heading into the Rainy Season (and he doesn't like being wet)
* The speed limit is super slow there (like 35 on the freeway!) and TONS of speedbumps
* He has yet to have to help move anyone as a service project (he says that Nicaraguans don't really move once they're in a place)
* He's still working on his piano playing skills (he can even read music now!)
* His first companion (Elder Lopez, who trained him) is already married after getting home in December!
* They do lots of tie exchanges with other missionaries
* He's had some pretty fun times and experiences with some of the other Missionaries
* He's really happy where he's at
* His testimony is growing. He's feeling more confident and independent
* He offered the closing family prayer (which was really special to hear him pray for us!)
* He spoke lots of Spanish for us
* and of course we had to take some pictures of us all "together"
SHARING A BOOK OF MORMON
Dec 2017
Ben had an experience where he acted upon a prompting. He had been talking on the phone with his friend and he said that he kept feeling like he was supposed to invite this friend to come to church with him - but he was scared and didn't want this friend to think that he was pushing our religion on him... but the feeling persisted and grew more intense. So, with courage, he asked the friend to come to church with us and felt so happy inside when he accepted! Not only that, Ben then also felt prompted to ask this friend if he'd like a copy of the Book of Mormon - to which he again said that he'd like to read it! Ben finished his conversation by bearing his testimony of the scriptures and the gospel. What an incredible example he is to me! It's hard to open your mouth when impressions come... it's hard to have the courage to then act on those impressions! He will make a wonderful Missionary one day soon! He relies upon the Lord and the Holy Ghost to direct his paths and is learning the most essential skill in this life - receiving personal revelation! Ben also finished the Book of Mormon this month! He's been reading 3 chapters a day and always does that first thing in the morning before starting in on any school work or fun. Yes, he is an incredible example to me!
SETH SENDS HOME SOME THOUGHTS
March 2018
Quentin L Cook came to a Multi Mission Conference and was the speaker. He was a really great speaker, 2 things from it that stood out to me were that there are lots of people ready and willing here to hear the gospel. Also, how compared to other countries the devil doesn't have quite as much of a hold here, and everyone still is Christ believing. Also he gave a great testimony saying He's heard the Saviors voice, and seen his face, and that he's a special witness of his reality and divinity. when he said that everyone was all like woah! and to close, he left a blessing on all of us that our Missions will bless the lives of everyone we love. Our brothers and sisters, parents, future spouses. Friends. Ourselves. And that we'll be able to see the impact of our missions in the lives of those we love for years to come." That was pretty neat and hey, maybe August and Cami breaking up is a direct result from my Mission! haha
* I am studying about the Life of Jesus Christ. One thing that kinda stood out is just how he could inspire the faith in people. And it wasn't for the miracles or anything like that. But because of that faith that they had, they received all these miracles. So what we need to do is help people build their faith constantly in order to well receive the miracles.
THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES IN LIFE
July 2018
Seth has struggled with his reassignment to California. It's been tough for him to go from a blistering pace in Nicaragua where they taught people non-stop to a slower pace in California. He has remarked that they did more in one afternoon in Nica than they do in an entire week. It's also been hard as he has seen so many of his other companions and friends who went out at the same time return home early (honorably) while he remains on his mission. As a parent, it's tough to watch your son struggle. We have tried to look for ways for him to remain actively engaged in good works and can only surmise that there must be some reason why he is in the Carlsbad mission and not home.
A few weeks back, I was in Helena for the week for a regional conference. While there, I got to spend time with our Safety Manager, Kenny Moreno. Kenny is a former Marine that chewed up some of the same ground as me in Iraq. I had met him earlier in the previous month when he was in Boise for an audit and he and I seemed to hit it off.
On the last evening of the conference, we were having dinner at a restaurant and our conversation turned towards the Church. Kenny lives and works out of California. He told me that whenever he drives by the San Diego Temple, his daughter thinks that it is Princess Elsa's castle from the Disney movie "Frozen". We spoke about why we have temples on the earth and what we do inside and then the conversation turned towards Seth. I told him all about Seth and his experiences he has had so far. When I related that he had been reassigned to Oceanside, Kenny exclaimed, "I live in Oceanside!" I was more than surprised. I told him the address of Seth's apartment and it was now Kenny's turn to be surprised. He said, "I used to live right next to his apartment! Now we live about four blocks away!" Kenny committed to meeting up with Seth with his family to say hello. I said that Seth and his companion were always looking for service opportunities and that Kenny should direct them to any old Abuelas in the area. In the meantime, Seth has contacted him via phone and they have agreed to meet up sometime here in the next few weeks.
I know that there are no coincidences in life and that our Father in Heaven has a plan for all of us. There can be no way that it wasn't meant to be that a fellow that was asking me questions about the Church in Helena , Montana would happen to live just minutes from my missionary son who has been questioning why he is where he is. I am grateful for the Hand of our Father in Heaven and how much he loves us.
INSPIRED TO SHARE
August 2018
Written by Dad... A few weeks back, we had the missionaries over for Sunday dinner. After dinner, they challenged us to take a Book of Mormon, pray to find someone to give the Book of Mormon to, and then follow through with it. We accepted the challenge and were split into three teams - Aubrie and Lexi, Ben and Nay, Mom and I.
Honestly, I didn't have high hopes. Outside of our family, I have two real circles I exist in - our friends (most of which who are Latter Day Saints) and work associates (most of which who are subordinates of mine). It makes it tough to share the Gospel with your employees for fear that they could say that they felt pressured to join the Church and that their job depended on it. I've always been pretty reserved about such things unless an employee sought me out for information about the church. I will say, I've never been afraid to share experiences just not as much on the proselyting side
Anyhoo - the next week, I had a surprise week-long visit from our regional service manager. He had gotten his weeks mixed up and we weren't expecting him until the next week. As we spent time together that week, I learned that Josh Longfellow was an inactive member of the Church who had fallen away seven years prior. He spoke fondly of the church, different books that he had read and loved, the Temple, etc. He still had a testimony of the Church, he just wasn't living his life in accordance to it's teachings. I felt inspired that I should give Josh a copy of the Book of Mormon. On his last day, I took a copy to the office with a personal message written inside. I gave it to him and told him that now that he was in his new position and would be traveling a lot, I figured he could use his own travel copy of the Book of Mormon. His eyes really lit up and he remarked about how he used to always keep a pocket size copy with him at all times and would read it during his lunch breaks. He was very happy to get a copy and I was thankful that the Lord put us in each other's lives. I know that if we can just earnestly and sincerely pray and look for opportunities to share the Gospel, we will find them.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
A CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
August 2018
Written by Ben:
We had the Missionaries over for dinner the other week and they gave me a challenge to pray to know who I could share/give a Book of Mormon to. I immediately knew who to give it to - a guy on my football team named Isaie (E-sigh). I was really scared to give it to him though but I went through with it and asked if he'd like one. He simply replied that "Yes, I'd like to read it." So I wrote my testimony (from the heart) and gave him a Book of Mormon. The next time I saw him, he said that he'd been reading it a lot (and that it reminded him of Fablehaven and he's diggin it!). Then just a few days ago at our football game, I saw that he was wearing a CTR ring and I asked where he got it and he said he went to church and got one! I know that if you follow the promptings of the Spirit things will always work out!
MTC EXPERIENCE FROM SETH
September 2016
BEN STANDS UP FOR JOSEPH SMITH
October 2018
Ben is one who is constantly standing up for truth! He had another experience at football (I wanted him to write it, but he wanted me to just re-tell it) so here I go... During Football practice there was a teammate who was speaking ill about and degrading Joseph Smith. Ben couldn't stand for it so (in traditional Ben fashion) he approached the guy and the following dialogue transpired:
Ben: Yo! Why you hatin' on Joseph Smith?
Teammate: Because he made up that book!
Ben: Yo! He didn't make it up.. he TRANSLATED it! It's the word of God - just like the Bible. You know we totally believe the Bible, as long as it is translated correctly, and the Book of Mormon is just another testament of Jesus Christ. You know how in the Bible, it says that God has "other sheep" -- well, that's what the Book of Mormon is, the teachings of the people in America. So don't be hatin'...
Teammate: oh really, I didn't know that...
and then Ben said if he (or anyone else) had any questions to "just come to your boi, Benny Vogt!" and he'd gladly answer them. Ben has a gift to be able to say truth in a way that doesn't make it weird or awkward or condescending and I'm always amazed how he follows the Spirit and has gospel moments and Missionary experiences because of it.
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