Sept 16, 2013

So the picture, I dont know what I am doing with my thumb but it looks a little silly! Haha but that little girl is so cute!!! It was independence day here in Mexico yesterday so we had to be in our house on saturday night and last night at 7. It was really weird to go home so early. I felt like I was wasting time! It is amazing to see now how much time I wasted before the mission. And also that is why the little girl was dressed up so cute, that was at our ward activity we had. Elder Christensen and I played BINGO with them. It was a lot of fun! :) I really dont have like any time this week but I did divisions with another elder this week, Elder Katich from Nevada and he was a little strange, he only has one more cycle than me but some of there investigators told me I had a way better accent than him in spanish. (I went to his area to work with him) It was a lot of fun and I learned a ton! I was really glad to get back with Elder Christensen though. Speaking of Elder Christensen, his grandpa died on Friday and so if you could send a few extra prayers his way that would be awesome! He is such a good example though and so strong. He still has been working hard and not been too bummed about the passing of his grandpa. Im sure it brings him comfort to know about the Plan of Salvation. I know that Plan brings me lots of joy and happiness to know exactly where I came from, where I am going, and what I am doing here on the earth. Makes two years on a mission seem like nothing, which it really isnt. Cant believe I have 5 months in the mission. Almost a quarter of the way done. What the heck? And I still feel like I have no idea what I am doing. Okay that was maybe a little exaggerated but I still feel really new. We have this week and then next week and it will  be changes, it would be really weird if my companion left. I sure hope not! Anways the work is a little tough right now, investigators arent really doing their ``homework`` so thats a little frustrating, but gotta keep working hard and doing what I gotta do and I know the Lord will bless me in my efforts. Love you and pray for you all daily! Have an amazing week :)

Love, Elder Hixon

Sept 9, 2013

So this week was pretty good. It went by so fast... like always! This week rained a ton! I guess there is a hurricane going on or something and thats why there is so much rain. Honestly I dont mind it all too much. I like the rain. It reminds me of playing soccer games in the rain! Speaking of soccer, I played soccer this morning and I just would like to let you all know that I still have it! ;) I played really well even though I had been out of practice. I am really out of soccer shape though, I guess walking around all day everyday doesnt keep me in soccer shape! You would think it would right? ;) Well I am going to share a quick story and that is all I will have time for. So on wednesday, we visited like 8 people to try and have a lesson, but they all just didnt want to talk to us or were ´´busy´´. So we were walking around everywhere. Lots of fun! And so we finally decided to slow down and say a prayer. We had a decision to go and visit 3 families but only had time to visit one before lunch. So we prayed and we decided to go in one direction to this first family. We both took a few steps and both felt bad about that decision. So we went to this other family, but nobody was home. A little discouraged, we waited to see why the Lord wanted us there. But nothing happened, so we visited this second family that was different that the original family we had in mind. But again, nothing! Getting a little frustrated with 11 people not being home I was about to give up and just go to the lunch appointment. But right when we were about to go, the people that we were going to go see right from the beginning walk by us and we asked them if we could visit them. They said yes and so we taught them about the Book of Mormon or something. The lesson didnt have anything too special in it but I learned a lesson that the Lord knows way better than us where we need to be and who we need to go visit! It is our responsibility however as His children to have the Spirit with us so the we can be receptive to the promptings of the spirit! I know that it is vital to missionary work and to everybody that we have the spirit with us in our lives.

 Oh and just a couple of cool facts for the week, I have now eaten chicken feet. NASTY! haha they are just pure fat! Super nasty, and also as Elder Christensen and I were walking ever so speedily in the rain, there happened to be a bus pass by and there was a man peeing out of the back of it. Yeah, before we had time to react, we realized that we had just got peed on by a man out of the back of the bus! Thats Mexico for you! :) Gotta love it! Love and miss you all. Know that I pray for you and that prayer is very important. Olivia can now tell us that too! Have a great, cool week! 

Elder Hixon

Sept 2, 2013

So this week went really well, all besides the fact that my companion got sick! He has a cold and has been really low on energy and he really cant talk to much during the lessons, but he is a champion and always is willing to work and do all he can! So my area, it is pretty dirty and there are a lot of cars! There is always traffic and there is a lot of smog. The people here are still really nice, especially the members. The members here in this ward absolutely love the missionaries! They feed us really good and make I even got my one birthday present from this one sister in our ward that speaks a little bit of english! I got a Toy Story cup and I will love it forever! I also am getting my package from mom so I am excited for that too. It was a weird birthday to be honest, it never really felt like my birthday, not sure if that is just growing up or if it was cuz I wasnt really worrying about me for once. Probably the second one! haha

    My companion and I are working really hard and trying to teach our investigators, we have a ton but there is such a huge problem with them not coming to church it is a little difficult. We were expecting 10 investigators in church but only 1 showed up and then we got the terrible news that he doesnt live in our area!! :( We went ahead and taught him again on Sunday cuz he comes here on the weekends to visit his girlfriend who lives in our ward. His name is Martin and he is definitely golden. We had taught him one time to gain his trust and to teach the Godhead and that lesson went well, but on Sunday we taught him the Restoration lesson cuz he went to church and hear all the testimonies given and Jose Smith came up in the meeting about 50 times. So we taught the lesson and answered all his questions and before we could invite him to be baptized he asked us, ´´Well, what do I need to do to be baptized?´´ We were so excited and then we found out that he doesnt live in our ward so we will be giving him to missionaries in another zone in our mission! Oh well, but it was a really great experience and I love helping others and answering their questions. My comp has told me numberous times as we have been together that I ask really good questions and that I have a gift to make people open up and share their experiences so that we can apply something from the Gospel to their needs. I have noticed that my comp is really good and spicing up the lessons with examples and his strong testimony! We make a pretty solid team I would say! 

   We have had a ton of lessons with less active members and have been pretty successful with those too, we had about 70 people in the church last week and this week the attendance went up to 85, I hope that slowly as I am here this ward will grow. There is a quote from PMG that I really like it says, ´´Do all you can to leave your area stronger than you found it.´´ I really want to do that and I know I can with hard work and obedience.

  Since I have come to the mission I love finding quotes and putting them in my agenda. I would like to share a few with you...´

´´I am not afraid of tomorrow because I have seen yesterday, and I love today!´´

´´A man shows what he is by doing what he does with what he has.´´ 

´´You cant please everyone, dont let critisism worry you.´´

´´It is good to be important, but it is more important to be good.´´

Well I would just like to thank everyone really quick that wished me a happy birthday and for all the prayers that are coming my way. I love and miss you all very much but I know I am exactly where I need to be right now! Have an amazing week!

Elder Hixon

Here in Tecamec (8/26)

So I am here in Tecamec in the ward Huicholes and I really like it here. I apologize ahead of time for being so brief. I literally have no time. It was a really busy PDAY. I cant believe how different it is to be working in a ward and not a branch. I like it because we have recieved a ton of references. I have pictures to send but my USB drive isnt working right now. I will see what happens next week! :) But Elder Christensen is really nice. He sings really amazing though. He kind of reminds me of Elder Van Tassel that we had serving in our ward a few years ago, a really good singer and obedient but a little strange. We get along really well. The crazy thing is, is that my spanish is just as good as his, (he says mine is better) and he has been out for 10 months! So that makes me feel really good. We put a baptismal date on this lady and she came to church on Sunday so that was awesome. I think she will progress just fine, her name is Apalonia. She is the sister in law of this nice lady in our ward. Basically Tacamec is really crazy, especially compared to Molango, but as the week has gone on, I have felt more and more comfortable and know that this is the exact place I need to be working at this point in time! Something I am going to miss is telling everyone that I am 18, I wont be so different anymore! I will try to give more details next week, but I have to go save some souls now! ;) Miss and pray for you all, but most of all I love you! Make this week the most amazing week ever!

Love,

Elder Hixon

Changes (8/19)

So I got changes! I will no longer be in Molango. I am with my new companion Elder Christensen and he is the District leader. I still havent been with a native companion! Elder Christensen seems like a really nice guy. He has 10 months in the mission and is from Kansas. We will see what we can do here in this ward. I am really really sad to not be in the jungle anymore but I really look forward to progressing in the mission and getting to know more people! I am now serving in the zone Tacamec and I am about 45 minutes away from Pachuca and not 3 hours! I have not gone to meet anyone here yet so we will see what happens this week. I am kinda sad because I am leaving a baptism that will happen on Saturday in Molango and then one the following week.But I will get Elder McCormick to send me pictures of them. Now I really feel like I am in Mexico. I am in a place more like how I imagined it. The pictures are of me with Elder McCormick eating pizza with our zone leaders and the other is with me standing in front of the house of prayer in Molango, little did I know that it would be my last there.

Earlier this week on Thursday, we had a visit from the area 70 Elder Valenzuela. He trained us as missionaries and showed us our role in the work of salvation. I dont know if you Dad have seen the work of salvation videos and stuff. How that is working up in the states. But basically Elder Valenzuela was legit and he told us on how the keys are given to the Bishops and stake presidents and with the help of the members they do the work of salvation. Us as missionaries also play a key part as we are full time teachers. That is what we are called to do is teach! Nothing else, and it is the job of the members to keep our agendas full, not us! I learned a lot from him but that was the basic idea of it. I also have lots of desires to understand the Atonement and the role it plays in my life as a missionary. That is going to be my goal from here on out and I can only imagine that it will be a life time goal. I am so grateful for His sacrifice and I am so grateful for the gift we have to repent from our sins everyday, both the big sins and the little sins that we arent even aware of. 

This week was crazy but I really dont remember too much of it because of packing up and leaving Molango and now coming here to Tecamec, everything is so different. But I love all of you and thank you for all you do for me and your prayers! Talk to you all soon! Oh and have a great week at school and work! :) I will be working too! 

Love, Elder Hixon

NOTICE: This email

Hey all! (Again!) 8/12

This will have to be a short letter this week sorry! Everything is doing fine. I am really improving in my teaching skills and my spanish, just like always! As a part of my training this week I had to start EVERY SINGLE LESSON! It was really hard at first but as I just took a deep breath and let the spirit work through me I was able to teach better and really improve my spanish. We taught 45 lessons this week and I think my companion started maybe 3 of the lessons. And on top of all of that, I was sick with a cold! So lame! I saw pictures of the lake and it looked like a blast! Josh looks like a man already.... I am scared that he will be a giant compared to me when I get back, Jake too. This week it finally started to rain on a more consistent basis. :) The past couple weeks had been pretty toasty. We are really trying to work hard with our investigators that we have. We have a good group of them but they are being stubborn with their commitments we leave them, especially the one about coming to church! That has been really frustrating for me, dissappointing more that anything. Just the lamest excuses for not going to church. I can only imagine how Heavenly Father feels about all his children that cant keep up with commitments. I have been reading and studying the General Conference talks from April and I have been learning a ton and I cant wait until the next General Conference in October. Weird to think that in October I will already have 6 months in the mission. I am so excited for general conference that I think I am more excited for it than I am for my birthday this year! I have also been reading in Alma in my personal studies and reading about Captain Moroni. He was a beast of a man. I laugh and how dumb the Lamanites were and how clear it is that when the Nephites kept the commandments, the Lord blessed them. I want to become the man that Moroni was, always firm in the faith and a great leader! I know that the Book of Mormon is a true book and that when we read and study it we can recieve blessing from our Heavenly Father. I know that the Lord put obstacles and hard things in our lives so that we can be lifted up from them, just like I was with all the lessons I had to teach this week. It all depends on our attitude, if we let our trials weigh us down we arent going to be happy, but if we use them to lift us up we can be happy. This is my testimony and some of the things I learned this week. And I would like to share that with you all in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

I´m sorry for those who like to hear more details about Mexico and my investigators but I just dont have the time to talk about all of them!! I wish I did but that is what we can do after the mission. We can have a nice long talk! ;) 

Love and miss you all. Thanks for prayers, you are all in mine!

Elder Hixon

Hey all! (8/5)

Well this wont be too long, I dont have much time but this week went by so fast! My companion and I worked so hard and ended up working in a good 44 lessons this week! It is only frustrating when you have 7 or so invesitgators and then none of them come to church! :( But its okay, just got to work a little harder right? Fun fact of the week; I got pizza hut pizza on wednesday night and it was delicious!!! We got 2 supreme pizzas and one pepperoni. They got all kinds of good stuff in Pachuca. But since I am here in Molango in the middle of no where I just get pure mexican food all day everyday! (I guess that is not so bad of a thing)

 Well I had one really awesome experience that I would like to share. We had a zone training meeting and I learned a lot! We as a zone had a goal in July to baptize about 35 people, but our zone only got 11 baptisms. So our zone leaders and the mission assistants were really worried there. One of the assistants, Elder Shillig stood up and talked and I dont recall all the words he said, but whatever he said moved me! I know that I need to work harder and I can always improve as a missionary. Yes I feel like I am doing a lot and yes it might be more than other missionaries, but I am giving the Lord my 100%? I think that is a good question that we need to ask ourselves everyday, are we willing to give the Lord 100%? It is something I have tried to work on since the training meeting on wedensday. I felt as if I was getting comfortable and going through the motions. I am now trying to continue to study harder, teach with more power, and love the people even more. We can always improve everyday. I have been reading in Jesus the Christ and I have come to appreciate the Savior and his atonement more and more as the days go on! I am so grateful for His sacrifice for each and every one of us. The atonement personal and infinite. I know He lives, and I am so grateful to represent Him! These were just a couple of the things I learned and have been thinking about this week and I would like to share with you all! 

Well, I believe that is all I have time for. I hope all those at Bass Lake have a great time and eat an extra piece of Pizza Factory pizza for me! YUM!! Love and miss you all. Thanks for your prayers and love!

Love,

Elder Hixon