Podgorica, MexiCali

It's wild how fast time flies.

Speaking of that, if I didn't write you a personal email back this week, we've been really crunched for time and 1 computer, so I'll get you next week. Hope this is good for this time!

We started this transfer with a 13 hour road trip through Bosnia (you would be proud, Dad. I took over the drive from Sarajevo to Podgorica, and we accidentally took a detour in the middle of the night to Mostar, and then had to hook back around, and I just bought a map at a gas station and figured it out due to our lack of GPS) got in to Podgorica, Montenegro at 2 30 and woke up at 5 30 that morning to drive to the coast for a service project, had to make another border run that night, and then had no sleep for a few days, just head down and working. I love my companion, he's the best.

But it's incredible as well that the harder you work, the happier you are. That's been my week, and I love it here. It's like a strange sense of home, I don't feel like I'm on the Balkan. With the coast nearby (I touched the sea), mountains all around, rivers that are clean and beautiful, green everywhere and even palm trees, not too many commie blocks but rather the MexiCali feel of houses, I love it here. Absolutely love it. And my companion is probably my favorite I have ever had. I love him, he's a stud and we work so hard. 

He is definitely one of my favorite companions that I've ever served with. I feel motivated to do hard things, and to be happy about doing them. We have spent many, many hours finding and have found some great potentials. One young person asked us if she could help us teach English. Others have given us their numbers excited to hear about the Gospel or English or both. We taught a woman last night who was very receptive to the Book of Mormon. Things are just happening here, and I am so glad to be a part of it. I love the mountains and the rivers and the wind, too. I am happy here, and the work it just too good. Safet, a long time investigator of 2 years or so (since the church was open here) came to church this week, and we had a lesson with him afterwards where we talked about the story of the Brother of Jared. We talked with him about the need to act even when we don't know all the answers yet, and then we would be given a witness. The Spirit was so strong, and he seemed to be awakening. We didn't commit him to do anything but to read that story again and to consider what we'd talked about.

Church this week was the missionaries and 3 people, 1 was Safet, 1 was a new guy who is seeking asylum from Iran and is super cool, the other elders just found him this week. He's a great potential. The third was a crazy, but it's cool. So, we have a lot of work to do!

But we're doing it. We are tearing this city apart!!! I love every minute of it here.
 

I left my camera at home this week, so I'll send pics next week!!

Love you all!!!

Elder Hixon

On to Podgorica

This week was really good.  Quick stories because I've got to run.

The rain in Karlovac stopped. (quickest story ever)

In Zagreb, I was forced to play the piano for sacrament meeting and it was rough. (also short)

While in Zagreb, I got to see Felix again. Remember him? Elder Bennett and I found him last December at night in center in Zagreb just before I left for Beograd again.  He has been going to church ever since then, and when I approached him on Sunday he yelled, "Jacob!!" And the rest was history. Then Elders McAllister and Gelhouse had a lesson with him right after sacrament, and when he came out of it he told me that he has decided to get baptized, and he will call me when it happens. How cool is that!? It was cool to see, after a long spell of feeling like nothing was going well, the fruits of a labor from a long time ago, just talking to somebody in the street.

Also, I sent a picture of us after a lesson with an investigator named Dubravka. 

She is so cool, and is also going to get baptized after investigating for a couple weeks. Her Book of Mormon is all marked up and she explained to us that she thinks fasting is important "because when you stop worrying about physical things, you can feel the Spirit." She is a heart surgeon, super smart and kind, and excited to get her answer. It was cool to be a little part of that process, and I'm excited to hear when that happens.

As for us, Elder Wilson and I will drive from Zagreb to Sarajevo to Podgorica on Wednesday.  I'm not sure how long that will take or when we leave exactly, but it's going to be loads of fun. The city we are going to has 0 members, and we are technically just a group out there. But we will be a branch soon, just have to hit the pavement real hard this time around. 

That's all I've got, love you all!

Elder Hixon

Country Number Three

Did I tell you that it has been raining here in the Balkans more this year than ever before? Like, since March there hasn't been one whole week without overcast or rain.  And lately in Karlovac it has been pouring nonstop, so bad that 2 of the biggest rivers that cut through town are up like 20 feet and are 1 foot more from breaking over. 

They called the army in to help sandbag it up, but they gave up because it's too much. So we're on flood watch for now...we'll see if they break over and flood the whole town.  Sounds like we are in similar situations! Rain rain rain always rain. We were over at a member's this week putting all of her stuff up high and on palettes and stilts because she lives right by the river and if it breaks, her house is underwater.  Way cool sounding back home.

Today was the greatest day ever.

We had an amazing Pday with some of the best pictures from my mission, found a place just opened in the Greb with canned soda (we're talking A&W, Barq's, Mug, Dr. Pepper, Cherry&Vanilla Dr. Pepper, Ginger Ale, etc.), had a birthday party for
Elder Wilson, and just had a grand time.  It was such a fun day with so many good friends.  I have loads of pictures on various cameras, but I will send them all next week once they are all sent to me.

TRANSFER CALLS.

President Grant called this afternoon and told me that he needs me to go down to Podgorica, Montenegro and whitewash another area. I will be serving with Elder Wilson! I am stoked, I will give you all details on that call and everything else next week. It's going to be wild, and Elder Lowis from Mesa (and BG) are down there too! And the best part:

I'm in Serbia Zone again. So I get to go back to Beograd!!! :)

This week we just helped some members with floods for the most part.  I made a friend in church this week. Even though I haven't loved Karlovac to death, I am going to miss it. It was a refiner's fire for sure, and I have learned a lot from being here.

Elder Radaković once told me that "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandment to (Elder Hixon) save He shall prepare somebody for him to love where He sends him." 

Take that one home.  I use it here in my head, when things are down, I think "who is that one friend I can make today?" Yesterday it was the only deacon in our branch here in Karlovac.  I sat with him during Priesthood meeting and we had a real good time. Turns out watching Regular Show with Simon and Cal paid off, because that was a topic of conversation. He is the only son and he and his mom are faithful members. He doesn't know where his dad is, hasn't heard from him since he was 7 or so, and his stepdad is a really cool guy but not a member. We talked a lot, joked a lot, and through it all he was still answering questions in Gospel Doctrine and Priesthood. He showed me his favorite scriptures and I showed him mine. At the end he said, "When I serve my mission, I hope it is Arizona!"

And now to find somebody to love in Podgorica and start up a branch there!!!

Love and miss you all!

Elder Hixon

More From the Balkans

My week flew by. Merl was sick a few days, and rain is our daily pour this whole summer. I've heard 3 times that "the Americans have a tower machine in Serbia that they are using to test their control on the weather, that's why the summer has been complete rain and floods." Haha that true? If it is, that's legit. If not, Balkan people are Balkan people. Tell Arthur that, he'll love it.

Life is sure short. I am learning that all of the "milestones" that are culturally revered in our Mormon culture are just that-milestones. Mile markers. Points of reference telling you that you're on the right path, a reference of how far you've come and that you've a ways to go yet.  The mission is a spiritual and physical and mental springboard, an experience I would never trade. It would mean nothing though if I returned home and stayed stagnant, either leaving the road or remaining at the mile marker. Ours is a progression that is endless, and we have to keep moving. The Atonement is amazing because you can hop back on the trail no matter how far you've gone or how many mile markers you miss-eternity is just as long and full of learning and growth no matter where or when you jump on.

(Merl is showing you the only thing he's learned from me since being together (fork 'em ASU!)

Had a zone conference which was good, and other than that, missionary work as usual. Our lessons with Domagoj fell through this week, though we did play a sweet game of Risk with a new investigator named Josip who speaks the most 20's gangster English I've ever heard, mixed with the occasional British accented words, but all in all great English and funny guy. And he gets things. It's interesting, and a definite up from where we've been the last little while. 

No interesting stories, except that we bought a Venus Fly trap and...yes we feed it things. His name is Svetislav.

Love you all, transfer calls this week and all that, so 

Keep the faith!

Elder Hixon

Piano Lessons and Giant Fish

I promise one of these days I'll have a good general again with some substance. I've been spending more time on the individual ones to you all (as I can get to them) because my story here is pretty unexciting.

The updates are: Zone Conference this coming week, so that'll be fun. Matt is doing well and is out of the hospital with just a shoulder trauma and is back to his old self spending time with us.  I started teaching Domagoj piano last week and that'll continue in addition to starting lessons tomorrow!! Thank you Mom for making me learn the piano. Also a woman from English class wants to start taking lessons too, so that'll happen after class tomorrow. Things are picking up!

One story for the week, then I've gotta jet.

I made another new friend. Her name is Štefica, she is a super old single lady and she speaks the cleanest Croatian ever, so I understand her well, and she understands me when I slip into Serbian words and things and laughs and says it's all okay. Anyways, I just sit by her at church and she and I try and figure out what's going on (her age and my lack of language are a great combo) and this Sunday we were reading in Jonah in Sunday School, and I lean over to her cause I didn't know the word for whale (kit) and ask "Štefica, how do you call the big fish that ate Jonah?" And she says, "I don't know, it just says big fish in here.....hmm...I think it was a shark. Sharks eat everything." and then she talks to me about sea animals, 20,000 leagues under the sea, and the Adriatic for the rest of the hour, and I learned more words that I ever have in a single day haha, like giant squid, submarine, whale, beaver, seal, walrus, etc. She's the best.

That's the skinny! Oh, real quick also, Elder Merl's older brother got married last week and is having his honeymoon near Zadar on the coast, and he got permission to come see Elder Merl through Karlovac yesterday and stay for church meetings, so that was pretty cool.

Love you all, make it a week with an adventure!

Elder Hixon