Just a Lovac with no game

This will be a short one. The library computer was really messed up and the internet's been patchy.

I'm all moved in. Croatia is good because is has a larger supply of German groceries and that kind of thing, which makes my tummy happy.  Chocolate Pockets, Wyatt? They're heaven in a box, wrapped up in little crunchy chocolate pillows and a chocolate filling. So. Good.

Karlovac is tiny. We can walk everywhere, and we have to because there is no public transportation that I have seen.  From 2.5 million to 50,000, I am having culture shock all over again. It's cleaner and nicer, I was in what seemed to be an American park this morning, not covered in concrete. It is good to be here, the members (the 15 that were at church) are great. There is a 3 generation active core family here and I love them already.

But this isn't home and it isn't Beograd. Whitewashing is so hard, and there's next to no work that I have been able to see.  Everybody already knows us. Nobody is interested.  The adjustment has been rough, but Elder Merl is funny so it helps. 

Sorry to be a downer, but that's all I have for this week.  A lot of exploring and trying to get our bearings. 

Praying for a miracle this week.

Love,

Elder Hixon

Goodbye Again, Beograd

Karlovac, Croatia.

That's my new life as of tomorrow sometime midmorning.  Transfer calls came and here's the skinny. The sisters are leaving Karlovac (I think we're low on sisters), and Elder Merl and I are going into their area to do some damage. Elder Merl is from Austria and is in the group that came in the mission before me (Skirko's group). I'm pretty excited, nervous, and upset all at the same time. I know the Merlibird and he is a stud. He's hilarious and we're going to have loads of fun, has been serving in Banja Luka with Elder Fisher for a little while now.  It'll be rough though, because neither of us have served in Croatia and we are whitewashing this area.  I'll pick up some German for Wyatt, though!

I don't want to leave Beograd, though. I love this city second only to home. Of every city in the world, this is my number 2. And it always will be.  This weekend was the best way to close my chapter here in Beograd and Serbia.

We taught the Raičević family (spelling correction I just found out) tithing a week and a half ago, and a few days before the baptism they said to us on a lesson, "We have a question about tithing."

My gut sank a little, because if any problems come up, I miss the baptism. Which is selfish, but we've really been so blessed with this family being so prepared, what with the boys having quit smoking 6 months ago of their own choice, and all other commandments being accepted with enthusiasm.  But here was the question: 

"When do we start? Would you like us to pay now, before the baptism? Or afterwards, when we are members?"

What!

Quotes of the week from the boys:

I told Andrej after we cut his hair that he looked like Tupac, because he and I have a common love there and he calls me "Elder Hixon, west side" or "Hixon, live and die in LA" or calls me 'Tupac' and 'Fozz Biggie'.  But when I told him that, he said he doesn't want to look like Tupac, because "Tupac je opak." (Tupac is wicked.) I laughed pretty hard.

We asked David how his reading had been going, and he says, "It's going so good. I just finished Jacob, and let me tell you, the Lord of the Vineyard had a lot to say. I think that was the longest thing I have ever read in my life. But it was excellent what he had to say."  He's such a man. He really GETS it. He'll be a leader here, and a friend forever.

Yeah, I love them.  I love them so much.  They called us to let us know that they were fasting before the baptism, they all just decided they needed to.  The baptism was incredible. 

Elder Fausnaught went in the font first, and the room was filled with members and friends, silent. Dusan went in with him and we and the family watched from the side. Then Elder Morgan (senior couple) went into the font with Ljiljana and, in Serbian, baptized her twice because her foot popped out like mine. Then Skirko went in and baptized Andrej, and then I went in and baptized David. 

 The Spirit was so thick, and so was the brotherhood. I can't describe it, but just standing there with 2 of my best friends, baptizing 2 of our new friends and their parents, and looking at how merciful the Lord is and has been to us was just.....incredible. Without a doubt it was the most powerful and moving experience that I can remember.

Sunday was not to let Saturday take all the triumph. The confirmation was more nerve wracking for me, I had never confirmed and blessed anybody in English OR Serbian. But I was last again, so I had plenty of time to listen to the others as we stood in a circle of Priesthood brethren. And it went well, didn't choke too bad. And they were just filled with light, and they felt it, the members saw it. And everything was just so bright and close.  To top it off, Zika Jovanovic passed the sacrament which is a first since I came to Beograd over a year ago. Toma came 20 minutes early to prepare the bread, and Nana blessed the sacramanet.  Then they asked us to sing "God Be With You Til We Meet Again" and I have hated that song ever since my last day with Gid, Wyatt, Trevin, Brandt, Hailey and Hannah in January 2013. But we did it, and then they asked me to bear my testimony to them. 

Needless to say, I choked on more than just my Serbian and could just tell them how much I love them and my Savior and Heavenly Father.  And nobody can take those things away from me.

Nana gave a talk on the Atonement also, and he NAILED it. Best line was "When I got the topic, I decided to see how much I knew without any of the books. So I thought about it all week and wrote some points down. Then yesterday I opened the books up and saw that I had completely missed it." I laughed pretty good, and then just grinned as he gave a perfect talk on the Atonement. He's come such a long way, and has far to go. But I believe in him. I got to go spend time with their family last night, and off to the new family today.

All these things just happened, and I know that the Lord helped them to happen to help me say goodbye.  And I'll be forever grateful for this week. And with all that fire, I'm off to go punch Karlovac in the face and see what I can do there and why I'm needed there with the Merlibird.

Love and miss you all!  

Elder Hixon

Pictures

These are just a few pictures of friends from Jake's mission that we met last night at the Rowe's open house. We neglected to get a picture of Baka Rowe (whose home it was). She was just a s lovely as we expected though. It was such a great thing to meet those who he has discussed through his letters and who have influenced him in such amazing ways.

(Ann Madsen)

(Elder McCallister's Parents)

(President And Sister Rowe)

Биће крштење!!!!

Well this will be a short one. No time to talk, just time to work!! Transfer calls come this week, so PLEASE PRAY that I can stay in Beograd one more time. I really want nothing more in the world than to give my city one last go.

BAPTISM this weekend!!!! The family we've been working with is ready. Mostly. The boys, Andrej and David, are ready. The parents SHOULD be, but they need your prayers too. We will see, but we will be spending every day working with them. We also haven't bought groceries in 2 weeks cause they feed us so much dinner it hurts haha.

We were at the Rajičovć's (same family) last week and me and Filip were laughing together cause Ljilja said "Filip is the first pancake. There's always problems with the first pancake, and then the others come out perfect." And we just started laughing "yep, that's us. The problem kids."

There is not a feeling in the whole world like being with someone through their conversion process. I love these boys so much, they are some of the best friends I have and I will love them forever.

Quick funny story before we go, we taught Andrej, Filip, Ljilja and Dusan the law of chastity this week, and all but Filip accepted it (Filip just kinda sits in on the lessons then powows with us after and before. Slow progress, but progress!). David didn't know we were coming over so he was out with friends. As we were walking with Andrej to the bus stop after the lesson, we ran into David on his way back home. He was stoked to see us and then looked at Andrej and said "Well, what did you learn tonight?" And Andrej, with his dude babe smile, said "Just you wait brother. I am chaste now, and you will be too." Then Andrej went home and taught David.

SICK?! Bah they just remind me of my brothers and I. They're the best and I love them.

And Nana fed us a soup of entire fish (yes, we ate the entire skeleton once Nana showed us how to eat bones) and cow femoral arteries (which were way nastier than the fish). My stomach didn't do well for a few days, but heck yeah it was sweet!!

Love and miss you all!!!

Старешина Хиксон

The New Regime

This week was a wild hoot and a half.

I started writing in my journal again, so that's a success. 4 months of gap, I figured my emails were adequate, but Elder Fausnaught has corrected my ways once again!  The beginning of the week was a little rough, to sum it up in Elder McAllister's words, "We're all going through President Rowe withdrawals right now." And in mine, "I feel like a foster kid that just got ditched and don't even know my new parents...and I'm supposed to keep on keeping on?"

But we kept on. We have seen the Rajičović's almost every day and they are simply the most prepared family I know. We taught them the Word of Wisdom and they just ate it up. They read the pamphlets and the scriptures together and individually. In fact, we were teaching the second half of the Plan of Salvation (we had taught the first half and the next few lessons felt to teach some of the commandments), but we had left the pamphlet with them. Those pamphlets do a very good job, by the way. The church really nailed it, everything you need is in them. So go get some and study them. Anyways, Elder Fausnaught was teaching them about the degrees of glory and used the Croatian word for 'celestial', to which Ljilja corrected him with the Serbian word. Not because she knew the difference from the languages already, but because she reads the pamphlets every morning and night, keeping them by her bed. She will even help us at times to teach her children and husband if something we say isn't clear, because for the most part she has done her homework and knows it all, and BELIEVES it all. And the others follow the example of their mother.

And that is the big miracle in my eyes this week. I have met many mothers, each having unique traits and all being mothers, none matching up to my own, not even close. Ljilja, however, has been mirroring what my mother does in a simply a minor fashion. She cooks for us every day, and by us I mean us 5 boys, (Fozz and I and then Filip, Andrej and David), and I mean EVERY. DAY. It's wild, and the food is always so dang good. We had some Punjina Paprika this week, which are stuffed peppers with all sorts of goodies. She shares her family pictures with us of them and the boys, and pretty much just makes us feel at home. It truly feels like a family of 7 when we are there. They all love us and each other so much, the boys respect their mother and love her food and all the things she does for them. And they laugh a lot together, love being together, and there is just LOVE in that home.  They have offered to adopt us (mostly joking), but in seriousness they say that Fozz and I are her other two sons and this way the family is perfect.

We taught them the word of wisdom, and all accepted it and stopped drinking coffee (when I say all I mean 4 out of our 5. Still working on Filip, but he loves us. He and I arm wrestled, I won right handed but only barely, and then he slew me left handed. We laughed so hard the whole time, and he's very comfortable with us, he's my older brother now. That's the start.)  David and I were talking at one point outside and David told me how much he loves Nephi. He loves that it didn't matter that Nephi was the youngest, his relationship with God was most important to him, and he did all to strengthen that. David wants to be like Nephi and be an example to his older brothers, and for that he has not touched coffee and is the most avidly into the lessons, praying and reading and asking questions. With Andrej right with him. They even read the Book of Mormon together every day them two, companion study?? They are in 2 Nephi, and I just love them so much.

4th of July was also so great. The Glenn's had us over again (perks of a year in one city) and the food was SO. GOOD. I just ate and ate and ate America and freedom. It was so fun, and we even had an epic sword battle with little Lincoln and Zander. It was a riot.

Then the day came. President Grant came and we had our Zone meeting and interviews, as well as church the next day with him.  He is......different. Very different. Very good, but very different.

The best quick description is that he reminds me of Papa Magic. A 6'5'', 330lb Papa.  He has read the scriptures and listened to Motab only his whole life, taught institute as a volunteer for 20 years.  He knows so much. He never marks his scriptures for fear he will skip things over that he needs to learn on another read through, and for that he has everything memorized. He has a big, booming voice and a very grizzly bear like nature. But he is kind and gentle. It is wild. I am both freaked out and stoked out of my mind to serve with him. The interview went well. The outcomes are 2 things. 1 is that I will find out soon whether I go home in March or June. And 2 that I might stay another transfer in Beograd. "You're companionship is doing great things and you work well together, and with this family being baptized soon....there's no need to mess with a good thing that is working right. We will see." He did ask my opinion, and I told him that I was fine wherever I needed to be, that I did want to stay here to be with the boys, and that I wanted to leave to see more of the mission, but that it was all the Lord's work.

So we will see.  President Grant is bringing with him great vision here. He has set plans to help increase the physical strength and spiritual strength of our members, with plans on how to get everybody employed, to up our PR and even talk of a a new building in Beograd?? A lot of things, a lot of great vision. In a meeting with the Serbian Leadership, that Fozz and I were fortunate to be needed as translators for, he said:

"The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before they were ready to enter their promised land and become an established people unto the Lord. These countries have been prepared for 40 years in the wilderness, and President Rowe has moved mountains here. The members and the church is prepared, and now it is time for us to enter our Promised Land and become a large, established people unto the Lord."

I love you all! This work makes me happier than anything.

Love,

Elder Hixon

P.S. There was an American dancing group here that did some folk dancing, they were from Utah and most of them Mormons. We helped them around and had our boys come to one of the shows, and do some volunteer work. That was pretty cool