A Milecastle for Louise & Brian

(well, actually 50 of them)

Having weathered 4 decades of marriage, Louise and I decided to mark the milestone by a trek along the ancient wall marking the northern extent of Roman Empire in Britannia. We invited our friends, fellow church planters, Annie and Rob Thiessen (Annie is the daughter of the late George Patterson, our church planting mentor). This walk, though at times arduous, was everything we’d hoped and more. [Clockwise above: The Hogan’s at Wallsend – the eastern beginning of the wall; our daily scenic treat; our bed and breakfast above a pub where our room was the one Dicken’s slept in!; Brian standing on one of the Milecastles (our 50 milestones); Canter: The Theissens and Hogans.

A Stop in the Motherland

As fun as daily hiking with dear friends was, we also wanted some us-time on our Anniversary trip. A cheap flight to Ireland from England for a week in the Emerald Isle made this possible.

We rented a car and went from Galway to County Tipperary (where the Hogans come from) and into the gorgeous south coast, finishing in Dublin.

Highlights were two nights in Terryglass, a tiny village that turned out to be a huge place in Celtic Church history (Columba’s hometown) and a hotbed of Hogans!

(The churchyard was loaded with my family). We experienced the most amazing things including the Cliffs of Despair from The Princess Bride (The Cliffs of Moher) and kissing the Blarney Stone atop a castle. The greatest was Cranagh Castle. We sought out this ruin because it was the 1585 birthplace of Conogher Giallgarbh Hogan, Brian’s 11th great-grandfather. Conogher’s dad had been a workman on the tower when he was born. We got lost and a farm couple invited us in out of the rain. An impromptu tea and treats were served. When I mentioned that my family lived there in the 1500s, they hauled out the local parish records – and found my ancestors! Once we explained why we wanted Cranagh Castle, they gave us detailed directions to the site, not more than a mile from their farm. We quickly found the overgrown and almost hidden driveway. We bushwhacked our way in to discover the ancient studded door of the tower ajar. Creeping inside, we were amazed to find moldering furniture, books, and artwork still in place! We explored our way up the winding stairs, floor by floor. What a grand adventure! Feeling like Indiana Jones, we made our way back to the car and soon stopped nearby at Ballyhogan (the place of the Hogans). Wow!

Photo Collage, counter-clockwise from large pic: At the Cliffs of Moher; Cranagh Castle ruined tower; the winding stairs; dining room; portrait of 18th century Lord of Cranagh still hangs over the fireplace; detail of the portrait.

Goodbyes and an Unexpected Hello

1. Dottie Jensen, Brian’s mom’s sister: May 26, 2023
2. Dawne Caldwell (Our kids’ Auntie and fellow Mongolia worker: Dec 3, 2023
3. Barbara Friedman, Brian’s mom’s last sibling: Good Friday 2024
4. Bud Hadford, Brian’s step-father: April 17, 2024
5. Sirima Hogan, Brian’s step-mother: May 27, 2024
6. Sylvia Hugo, Louise’s mom: August 7, 2024
7. Linda Wisdom, Navajo co-worker & faithful pray-er, August 8, 2024.

This year has marked the loss of more family members for us than ever before.

We barely processed one loss before hearing of the next. We were flying to Maryland for Aunt Barbara’s memorial when we got the call about Bud’s passing.

Only one of these deaths was unexpected, but each was still a blow of grief. On our way to the UK in June, Brian got a tearful voicemail from his father, Gene Hogan in Huntington Beach, CA. “She’s gone!” When he got his dad on the phone he learned that Sirima (Gene’s Sri Lankan wife of 40+ years and 15 years his junior) had come down with a serious lung condition, been hospitalized twice, and never regained consciousness after her second intake. Gene has been suffering from dementia and can’t care for himself. After a few words, a man named George took the phone. He said he was a friend and neighbor and had moved in to help Gene. Brian need not worry about his dad and could continue the trip in peace. I felt weird that I’d never heard about her illness and only about her death after a week had passed. I tried to trust that Dad was in good hands for now.

Later, as our time in England was winding down, I received numerous urgent messages from a stranger in Florida. I called Jean and she said she was a friend of Gene and Sirima’s and needed to tell me about “George”. Sirima had called her before her demise and shared her fear. This man had invaded their home when she was in hospital the first time. He was a homeless man she’d befriended at the park and now he wouldn’t leave. I knew at once why none of my calls had been returned. He was limiting contact with friends, family, and neighbors as he worked to take over my dad’s house and finances.

As soon as we got back to Arkansas I flew out to Orange County California to rescue my father . . .

to read the rest of this saga and find out what happened to Gene Hogan click on the link: https://www.4dmm.org/rescuing-brians-dad/

Gene Hogan, 89. Outside his new apartment.

Lots of Travel and Ministry Ahead

The remainder of 2024 has managed to fill-in with a daunting amount of travel.

Some** are both Louise and Brian, others are Brian solo*.

• 9/28-10/18  Northern Uganda** 2 locations, midwifery (Louise) and Disciple Making Movement (DMM) training at each place.
• 10/21-25  Beirut, Lebanon* YWAM School of Missions
• 10/29  Casper, WY*   Perspectives class
• 11/3  Harvest, AL*   Perspectives class
• 11/5  St. Cloud, MO**  “Mission of God” course (Perspectives class spin-off)
• 11/8-9 NWA of the Nations in NW Arkansas**
• 11/12-21  Arizona road-trip (still tentative)**
• 11/26-29  Kenya*  YWAM Disciple Training School (DTS)
• 12/2  McAllen, TX*    Perspectives class
• Dec. 3-6  Ozark, AR*   YWAM Ozark Biblical Course
• Dec. 8-21 Ulaanbaatar and Erdenet Mongolia* YWAM school(s) and promoting Unengaged Peoples involvement.
• Whew! Just writing it out makes me exhausted. WE especially need you to pray that Dad is alright with Brian’s absence and that the ongoing legal and financial affairs allow for some inattention during these trips. Louise will be visiting him and doing what she can but it will be hard on all three of us with God’s help.