Floods

Best week of the mission so far.

We received the rain amount of 3 months worth in 3 days. It was about as crazy a storm as I've ever driven out of, and then back into, and then watched as it rained. And rained, and rained.

We received reports early that there was major flooding destroying Bosnia and Serbia.  When you build cities on rivers...

Villages have been flattened, other cities cut off completely, some underwater.  The landmines in Bosnia and South Serbia have all been picked up by the flood and moved around to who knows where. There have been a few deaths due to both the flooding and the mines.  Where the storm didn't immediately hit, still there was evacuations and help needed to try as much preventative work as possible.

Immediately the missionaries in Belgrade (6 of us) and the 2 Novi Sad elders, along with the Senior missionaries from Belgrade and Novi Sad, and a few members here in Beograd went to help with the Red Cross Saturday morning to head down to Šabac, a town that was awaiting a large bulge from Bosnia to hit it via the river.  We were to go and fill sandbags and get the town ready for the imminent flood.  We arrived to the shuttle area just after 8 am, and were stunned to see upwards of 5,000 volunteers loading onto buses.

These people of Beograd dropped everything to help their countrymen, so many of them that they had to send thousands home, unfortunately including us. For this time, thought the next few weeks will include plenty of service from us to the regions that have been hit the hardest.

On Sunday at church, the members all rallied in talking about how we can help.  As I was pondering thoughts of courage, we were once again asked to teach the 3rd hour lesson about 5 minutes before it started. I laughed quietly at that situation. Elder Ščirković led that lesson and boldly spoke the thoughts that were on all of our hearts.

"What we see is what has been prophesied.  These floods are disasters, but what struck us the most was the willingness of the Serbian people to drop everything and save their brethren.  Today we also see a worse flood, a spiritual flood. And if those people knew about it, they would be just as willing to save those in danger. I asked myself, am I that willing to give my all for those in this spiritual flood? Am I really THAT engaged in saving them and doing all I can?"

I saw love this weekend. I witnessed it in all of its unselfish and sacrificial splendor. We have a family of members down in Čačak who were hit really hard by the floods. They are safe, as is their home, but all of their livestock and crops are gone.  And when we got into contact with them, the mother asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?" She is the one who needs help! And yet, I learned perhaps one of the most powerful and useful lessons here from and about these people. They love each other. Underneath all of the hate and smoke and spit and anger and pride, there is passionate, even rash at times, love and charity.

Over the next few weeks, as my new (and favorite) companion and I show that love to each other and to those we meet, we know we will see miracles. We have never worked harder (and not just at beating each other up in the mornings, good ol' Alabama wrestler him) and never have we been more obedient. We are seeing miracles even in the few days together. Yesterday Vladan, Elder Fausnaught and I went out to go visit a member who wasn't at church this week. She has been coming back into activity, so we decided to pay her a visit and share what we learned today. When we got there (far away) we found that she wasn't home. But her non member mother was, and she graciously let us in to share the message we brought. We taught her about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration, and the Spirit was so strong. She prayed at the beginning and end of the lesson, and she agreed to read and come to church with Nevena next week. It truly was a miracle, not to mention the loads of other people we found in the streets this week and hope to meet with this week.

The work is progressing, and faster and faster.  I am so grateful to be a part of it, to lend my back and hand to the labor for the souls of men. This battle is important enough to both sides that the hosts of the wicked brought a cyclone onto the Balkans. And its important enough that the Lord and His hosts are using the storm to soften the hearts and prepare the elect to receive the Gospel, and it's important enough that He has kept His servants safe and in the optimal position to help.  Through His grace, I am here still in Beograd and among those that I love, with the best companion in the world and the best district in missionary history.

We go to work.

Love and miss you all!

Elder Hixon

P.S. pics later, and more comp stories and success next week! Good luck on the wedding Nan, love you!!!!!