Beograd is MY City!

Some of you may be asking yourselves, what? has the man gone mad?! This email is on Tuesday! 

Let your hearts not be troubled, we split our P Day into 2 days so that we can go see Tito's grave and the Nikola Tesla museum, so I have a few quick minutes to send out this general. Luckily, I don't have much to say.

It's been snowing, and it's bloody cold. (Serving with an Australian)

Beograd is my city. I love it here, and I have loved all of the time I have spent here. This Friday we get transfer calls. If I stay, then I will be elated to continue my service here (and I will have to give a talk in 2 weeks) and if I leave, (no talk) and I will be ready to serve somewhere else on the Balkan for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  

That being said, I want to say that my service here really isn't about me. And I have the proof to back it, because we taught a whopping total of 2 lessons this week. We have had the least visible success this last few weeks than I have ever had on my mission. The joyous experiences of missionary work, that of being a part of the conversion of individuals and families, seeing the Atonement WORK, and carrying them into the waters of baptism, their first step on the road of covenant making, are enough of a reason to serve the Lord; there are scarcely better feelings than these. I have had a small few of these experiences, but I would like to share briefly an even better feeling, and the reason why I am on a mission. Lehi, one of the first Prophet-historians of the Book of Mormon said once that 'The Lord commanded, and I MUST obey.'  

The truest joy of missionary work, even of all the work we accomplish in this life, is found in obedience to a higher power. When we obey, we are blessed, and the joy that fills those blessings drives us to more obedience, and thus a cycle of happiness.  When the Adversary beats down upon us in this physical world, with all sorts of oppression, rejection, abuse, sorrow, heartache, and loss, we cannot be deterred off course, and we cannot forget that joy which has filled our hearts when we obeyed He who gave us life freely, and gave His life to us freely.  The physical upsets will pass when they have filled their purpose, and we will be left and it will be required of us an accounting of our obedience.

The reason I am serving here is found in the joy I find each night as I offer communion to the Lord through prayer and give Him an accounting of what I have done, repent of the things I need to do better in, and ask what else is required of me, and then listening for the Spirit on my knees as I am brought the peace and assurance of being where I am supposed to be, doing what I am supposed to be doing. 

Regardless of all else, THAT is success to me.

Let's see what this week brings, and on we go!

Love,

Elder Hixon

Let me not forget...

Another week, another dollar.

That was a lame intro, but that's okay because this was a lame week. I don't have a whole lot to say in this general, so hopefully that means everyone's personal emails will have more in them. Who even knows.

I didn't keep a list of things that happened written down, so I know I will forget things and get ticked later, and what's worse is there weren't any landmarkedly different days this week, everything just kind of blended into the same kind of thing. We tract, contact, advertise for English classes, go to meetings, eat, plan, sleep, and repeat, in no particular order. 

My birthday was loads of fun, we ate together at the Goodsell's and they sent pictures and video home of that, it was a good time with all these missionaries that I love. It was a good day, markedly different than all the others. 

I am becoming a nifty cook, so I should be counting my blessings. Brat Glenn from the embassy got maple syrup for me for my birthday, so German Pancakes are on the menu tonight!!!! We taught Nana and Zoe again this week, that was the ONLY lesson we taught that counted for anything. It was a good one, but still. Can't help but get discouraged these days. The missionaries (so, we) taught Elder's Quorum, and it was awesome as we all taught together and the members were very involved, very excited about missionary work. The Zone Leaders even had a lesson with a referral from our Branch President!!! And for those of you in missions where that's normal, I don't think I have ever seen a member referral.....so that was SO GOOD! We will see where that goes.

The words of my current favorite hymn are in my head, and forgive me if they aren't word for word because I know it better in Serbian...

Let me not forget, oh Savior,

Thou didst bleed and die for me
When Thy heart was stilled, and broken

On the cross at Calvary.

We repeat words of the Atonement often, sometimes too often that we become complacent and apathetic to so great a sacrifice. And I find these ones here to truly stir the soul, especially mine. That we not forget, that we ponder it often and truly think of what ACTUALLY HAPPENED, and why. In fact, the author here isn't even asking in his prayer for strength to overcome the trials, or for the trials to go away, as I am often inclined to do. He asks, rather he pleads, to remember. 'Please, oh Savior my Friend, don't let me forget. No matter what is going on around me or to me, I know that if I can but REMEMBER always those things that Thou didst do for me, I will have strength adequate, and those things won't matter. And the alternate, forgetting, is unthinkable. Please, let me remember.'

So, in these times, when our hearts are broken and all around us is not going according to our plan, let us plead for remembrance, and remember that we broken hearted are in good company, as was His, for us. For no other reason that for us. Charity, the greatest of all, is the sole WHY to the Atonement. Everything else fails, but charity never does. Let us remember.

To remembering, and pressing forward!

Love,

Elder Hixon

A little Birthday Treat

"What we lack in musical ability we make up in greatness of character!
We just had your wonderful son's birthday dinner. We think the world of him."


With love,
E/S Goodsell
Can I just give a little shout out to senior couples who are serving missions and taking care of our children who are also serving. This little note and video was the sweetest surprise we could have ever received today. Much gratitude to the Goodsells and other couples who serve as diligently as they do!

'Božje sam dete ja'

Zdravo kiddos!

Well, this week was kind of uneventful.

SIKE. I'm just gonna go, let's see when it stops.  To start, Monday night was Christmas Eve and we went to a little gyspy bonfire with the Jovanović family, and then shared in some Serbian Christmas traditions, i.e. hay everywhere, breaking open tons of walnuts, eating fig fruit (the heck?) and dried plums. We sang songs, and shared in each others' company. 

Tuesday was one of the strangest Christmas' I have ever had. No family, no presents, but who needs that when you are in Serbia as a missionary??? Not this guy. We loaded ourselves up and drove to Novi Sad, where all the Serbian missionaries (so.....13 of us) and also the Senior couple missionaries had an all day party. We ate some bomb soup and bread which I love, and played games in the Novi Sad church, and again just enjoyed each others company. There was much love and laughter, especially as Elder Radaković would whip out his extensive few sentences in German and many YAAAAA's to try and be like the 2 Sisters we have from Germany. It was a good ol' time, and as you can see from the picture of Mcallister and I (mother, those 2 pictures I would love to be made into a Christmas Card) we had a good time. It was the best.

Wednesday Žika had us all over again to eat sarma, which I love a lot. I don't think I ever said before what it was, but it's basically ground meat wrapped in cabbage and a lot of good sauce soaked in. So, count me in!!

We did a lot of work trying to find....but alas we are still without any investigators. We did work with less actives and among our members, we are finishing our home teaching this week also. We went out to Pančevo to find inactive members and found them to be nonexistent at their addresses, so we did the footwork for finding that out. We were told no by who knows how many people, and basically had 0 visible success. It started to become discouraging. If I wasn't with 2 of the funniest elders I know, I may be depressed. But I love Elder Rad and Elder Fisher. These 2 are so dang awesome. I find the Lord working very intimately in my life. Elder Rad was my first companion in the field, and I will be his last. He has 22 days left, and we are doing our best to get him out with a bang. And Elder Fisher will be in the mission all the way with me, as we are now at equal time out. So, just some postcards from the Lord, looking out for me.

But that's not all. Oh no that's not all. I got a call from Zagreb yesterday. A bit of background refresher, remember that African guy Felix that Elder Bennett and I contacted in Zagreb on New Year's Eve? The story went that Elder Bennett and I were waiting to meet up with someone, and Elder Bennett pointed out an African guy and said 'Elder Hixon, look, an African guy! Is that Amadu (investigator we had)?' I said 'I don't know, but doesn't matter, he is African and we must contact him.'

Well we did. And Elder Stuart and Bennett have been teaching him, and long story short he wants to join the Church. So, I count that as a visible success, and turns out the Lord had a reason for keeping me in Croatia for a bit after all! Not patting myself on the back, not at all, but I only include this story as proof that the Lord puts us where He needs us, and it is up to us to have hope and faith in His judgement and to do good regardless of the visible success we see, and proof that He loves us and will reward our efforts as we look back.

We had an incredible Zone Conference on Thursday, and the three of McAllister, Sheridan, and I were reunited once more. MAN. I don't know how to tell you guys how much I love those 2. OH man!!! There are many stories from that conference, but for another day. I want to share a few quick ones from yesterday.

First, I got to see Vladan again :)

Second, Brat Glenn (embassy worker) wished me a 'Happy Birthday on Friday,' and that was pretty cool of him. I asked him how he knew, and he said that they've been keeping tabs on me since I left. He also knew the day I was back in the mission. So, another blessing. He is so awesome, and a close friend of mine here. I will treasure that friendship forever.

Lastly, we were in Primary this week helping with singing time. So us three, Brat Glenn, and 2 other embassy workers (we have 3 embassy families now?!) were there with 8 of our little rugrats. Elder Rad and I let Elder Fisher spearhead it and he did very well. There were 2 very moving instnaces. One, there is an embassy kid named Fox (Faux?) and he can't be over 5. He would sing very loud (Serbian and English, cause we teach them both for the songs) and with his cute nasally voice and mispronounced r's and l's, he would turn around before the song and look to his mom and, with true uncertainty and desire, ask, 'Mom, am I good at this one?' and she would smile at him and assure him that he was, and then he would smile and belt the song flawlessly. And at the end, he would turn around and ask her again, 'Did I do good, mom?' She would again reassure him that he did perfect, and that was good enough for him. And the process would continue. Not only was it freakin cute, but it was a little look for me into something a bit more eternal and about all of us. And to top that, the minute 'Božje sam dete ja' (I am a Child of God) EVERY kid pulled out their pipes and belted it with the pride and conviction of any full primary I have ever been in. It moved me. These little ones KNOW who they are, and they love that knowledge. They know, more literally and with more certainty, their divine nature, more so than many of the most learned men. And they believe in Him, find hope and assurety in Him, and know how to speak with Him, and ask Him 'Am I good enough to do this?', and to return at the end of the day and ask 'Did I do good?' and recognize the answer of assurance from their Father that they did.

And so I, too, try to emulate their example of unwavering faith, hope, and pride in being a Child of God.

All my love from Serbia!

Elder Hixon

And then, we have you Brucey....

Zdravo, prijatno, cao cao, and flip floppin sta ima PORODICA?!

You guessed it. Those words mean I am back in the motherland. SERBIAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

In the words of Elder Radakovic: "Bruce. You're back."

And to business.

This week has been pretty wild. And pretty awesome. Minus that I haven't written in my journal since normal Christmas day....so if I miss anything just know I'll be as ticked as the rest of you when I realize it later this week. I'll do my best.

Just after I wrote home and told yinz that I was going back to Beograd on Tuesday, I was told by the AP's that I was asked to stay (again) in Zagreb, but just through the leadership training meeting. I guess they thought it would work well with travel if I just went back with the Serbian Zone Leaders after the meeting, and President wanted me at the meeting. So we rolled with that. We had a Trio with Elder Bennett, Stuart and I on Wednesday after the regular with Elder Bennett Monday and Tuesday, (during which we found another African male to investigate the church.) New Years Eve was kind of sketchy, sounded like a war zone outside at night. But we lived!!! And the Croats take a full day to recover, so everything was closed and there wasn't a soul outside. We had a good last hoorah, and then we went our separate ways and I spent Wednesday night at the Zone Leaders' apartment. Elder Scirkovic had me running at 6:30 and that stunk! But I kind of liked how my day went after that....so we are employing his methods here. Anyways. We had a good go in the training meeting, the Spirit was strong and much was learned. Things are changing and it's gettin real folks! The work is moving fast!

Then we made the long haul Thursday night to Beograd in the box. It was foggy as I've ever seen, so I was impressed when Elder Blackburn got us to the white city all in one piece. I was then reunited with Elder Rad and Elder Fisher, back in my old apartment.

Which is so wild. I kept looking around for Elder Wade. It was like....I didn't feel culture shocked or even a tad homesick. Nothing. I felt so at home driving around Novi Beograd on our return. the only hole was where was my companion?? Where is Elder Wade?! I still wake up and have to accept the fact that my little piece of heaven over here is one good friend short. I don't know! It's just, he and I started that area, and that apartment, and did a lot there. My whole life is what it is today in a large part because of Elder Wade and this little part of the world. So, that was a trip.

But my new companions are awesome! We are struggling to find people to teach, more so than normal, but we are doing our best! Elder Rad you all know, he's the one who was my first companion in the field for 2 days, from Tasmania so he's got a gnarly accent and some of our curse words aren't curse words to him, so I laugh a lot around this guy. He's awesome. And Elder Fisher is very smart, and just an easygoing kind of guy. He has been in country 4 and half months, we're nearly "technically" the same age in the mission, I think I have 2 weeks on him if you don't count my 4 and half months MIA.

And the BRANCH. Oh man! Being reunited with missionaries is a blessing and a joy I'll never be able to fully describe, but when we went to Dragan's restaurant and I just walked up to him, the look on his face! He nearly dropped dead, and I hadn't seen a happier Serb in my whole life!! And then we visited Nana and Zoe, and MAN!!! Such joy!!! They're actively serving in the church, and the kids!!!! Johan's HUGE! The kid's gonna be a football superstar!!!! And his hair is just GOING! So dang awesome! And Ceci can walk!?!? BAH!!! I loved it. It was incredible, so good to see them again. And even though our first night with them took a turn for real bad, with President Rowe's help things are on the up and everything is working out. They are a beautiful family and I love them with all my heart.

On Saturday we had a huge party for Christmas (check us Serbs and our dual holidays out.) I told you all how Christmas was good, but it didn't feel like Christmas? Well, I'm convinced that Christmas really isn't about the date (duh, cause it's technically not accurate on the 25th either..) but I mean, the "Christmas season" spirit that I felt was missing this year is so here! The branches from Novi Sad, Sremska Mitrovica, and Beograd all met here at the church and had a devotional, a little party with food and drinks to go around (non alcoholic obviously.) It was a riot! Member after member and I had wonderful reunions. I chummed it up with Elder McAllister and it was the funniest and happiest I've been in a long time! I just was on cloud 9, (someone explain that saying to me, please) and I was just SO HAPPY. President Rowe and his family were there, as well as Brother Hansen and his wife, and President Rowe said to Elder McAllister and I "You two look good together, Elders."

BADABING. President knows my heart, and knows that it needs a good transfer and a half with Elder McAllister. So, be expecting that in the future. We rocked out after that comment.

The best, though, was that we all went to the top of the church and Dusan Vasica read the nativity story from the New Testament as all the little kids acted it out (Johan was a sheep. A black sheep! hahahahahahahahaha) and it was just so funny all in all, but so powerful too. So many kids. There had to have been 12?! Give or take. And the Spirit was so strong as these innocent little ones had a good time with each other, and members sang and did various talents. Then, to top the party off, Goran Strbacki came up dressed as Santa and MAN, I've never seen a more Serbian Santa!! The man can't weigh over 130 soaking wet, and he had on a sewn together red felt over coatish thing, and the scraggliest white beard on that I've ever seen. It was AWESOME. He came up and had gifts for all the little kids, and it was just a funny time. The best was little Jakov, looking up at his dad dressed up and looking so confused. hahaha.

All in all, it was the most wonderful time I've ever had. I loved being with everybody. We met with Nemanja last night too, to top off an excellent week. We've been tracting and contacting like nobody's business, still trying to find someone who will be baptized before Elder Rad goes home in the beginning of February. So, if you all could pray for us to have that happen, we truly believe it can.

Tomorrow is Christmas here, so we are all celebrating in Novi Sad and that will be loads of fun (just missionaries, and mainly for Elder Radakovic I think.) And that means tonight we are bunkering down and aren't going out except to go to a gypsy bonfire with Zika. So that'll be fun.

I hope not to sound boastful when saying this, but it sums up how I feel. Elder Radakovic told me this yesterday: "You know what impresses me? My Arizona boys. They truly love this people. I don't understand it. You have Elder Adams, and man that kid LEARNED Serbian! He put his life into learning this language! And why? Who wants to speak Serbian? He went above and beyond what he needed to teach this people, he learned because he loved them. He's a Serb. Then you have Elder Wade, and after serving most of his mission in Croatia, you think he'd be an Ustasa like many elders who come here from there. But no! He starts learning Cyrillics and even cursive Cyrillics! He drops his Croatian and picks our language up like he was made for it! And you know, you served with him. He loved these people. And then, we have you Brucey. You know what I would tell people here? Elder Hixon loves the people of Beograd more than I do. (Because I hate Beograd. Kidding.) But really. You Arizona boys love my people. And that inspires me."

That's all I can think of! Happy birthday this week Dad!! I love you old man!

All the best and my love and kisses!!

Elder Hixon