Wakedness

Well I'm going to Skype y'all (some of y'all) this week, so emailing will be what it will be.

Highlights: 

We taught the English students how to play Speed Scrabble, Mom! It was very humorous, but they loved it. Vojislav got so ticked at the "Q" that he turned it upside down and used it as a blank. Best class ever. 

Christmas Conference was rad. It wasn't last year (most of the mission is gone from last year) but it was still awesome. We flew up to Beograd the night before and decided it would be in our best interest to not sleep cause we had to leave at 5. I can safely say that THAT was the real Christmas party. 

So 2:30am rolls around and I get into the shower, and at half hour intervals the rest of us (The Furious Five) were showered and ready to go, not feeling too tired. We get on the road to Zagreb and haul over there, sugar and caffeine a blaze. It's a miracle we kept ourselves awake. Elder Fisher made sure we did. We pull up to the Zagreb chapel and kind of zombily push through the crowd to the restrooms. 

Once cleaned up and looking more human, we fought the battle of the year staying wake during the whole conference. We had a lot of fun there, and I got to see McAllister and Sheridan for what is likely the last time til I come home. Weird.  I don't know how I feel about that, but time goes and life is what it is.

By the time we ended the conference and were on the road again, it had been over 32 hours of wakedness and I couldn't tell one day from another. I want to do a study on what the heck sleep depravation does to the body. We were blessed that Elder Taylor (senior couple) drove and let us sleep. We all caught about 2 hours of delusional sleep, got into Beograd, and then us Podgoricankans flew home. I passed out of this world for 14 hours and felt like a newborn child when I awoke. 

It was awesome. Best weekend of my life. There's a fun Christmas story to tell the kids about. 

As for the missionary stuff, we still got a good amount of finding in and talked to a lot of people. Nobody in particular wanted to keep talking, but it's cool. 

Last story highlight is that on Sunday I walk in and Srdjan asks me to give him the Aaronic Priesthood.  Wow, no heads up! Good thing they call us Minute Men. It was such a special experience. The first time I've ever conferred the Priesthood in Serbian. I love Srdjan and I love Montenegro. 

See you Thursday!! 

Love,

Elder Hixon

Bentley's Shoes

This week was one for the books. I'm definitely on the uphill swing of things.  I'm short on time but I want to share a few highlights.  We went to Beograd for a Zone Cofnerence this week and is was loads of fun. I learned a lot and felt an outpouring of the Spirit while I was there.  Afterwards I had an interview with President that really was inspired. He is a man called of God, I have no doubt.  I left feeling rejuvenated and determined and full of strength.  Also, I had a lot of extra time before our flight left after the conference, so we went to center and got some Gyros, and oh it's been far too long!! They were awesome. It was even worth trucking through the rain bez umbrellas.  My favorite part, though, was just traversing Beograd with my eyes closed. I know every inch of that city, and it felt like a huge wave of "home" when I went back. Spending over a year of my life in that city really did something. I was also privileged to serve in all the areas of that city, so I knew all the shortcuts. I just felt really good being there again. 

More on Beograd, yesterday the Raičević boys and Dušan (Andrej and David's dad, if you all remember them from this last summer) got the Priesthood!!! I am so stoked, and David wore my tie to church. It was the best phone call I ever got, and I am so glad that I am still in the mission to see that family grow. I wish I could've been over there, but our Sunday was good, too. Srdjan is still on fire. He's donating things to LDS Charities here, volunteering on any and all projects, paying his tithing, and applying the Gospel of Jesus Christ every day.  He's a champion and I love him.  

We found a new guy this week named Tomislav.  It was a long day and we were standing on one of the bridges, just looking at the river taking a break from a lot of opposition.  We turn and see a tall guy maybe in his early 20's. Pants: "This is the guy." Me: "Here we go again..." Pants was right. I need more faith. The guy was awesome and talked with us about his life and heard us out and was genuinely interested and wants to learn more. We'll see what this week brings with him. 

We also spent a lot of time with Božina, Snežana and Jovan this week. I know I say this a lot, but they are seriously some of my favorite people in the world.  I just love them so much.  Božina took us out to a place where we could chop down a Christmas Tree for Elder Lowis and Elder Poore and take pictures for a Christmas card, and so that's coming in hot!! It was loads of fun.

Lastly, I wanted to tell you about day 1 of this week (well, day 1 of work, this week meaning Wednesday after Tuesday's all day conference and travel).  I woke up exhausted, overwhelmed and full of anxiety again.  I didn't want to go outside and talk to people. It seemed that after the spiritual high of the conference, the adversary wanted to strike us down quickly.  I was getting ready, having some pessimistic thoughts and fears about the day, when I went to put on my shoes. These are the shoes that I bought 2 years ago, and have worn every day for over 18 months of those 2 years.  They've held up very well, but since the heavy rain that Podgorica winters bring, and especially the torrent I walked through in Beograd the day before, they were beat to shreds.  The giant holes in the front and the sole almost completely detached from both heels were mostly still bearable, but that Beograd rain storm had them soaked and miserable.  I thought to think "poor me" and give in to a wave of depression, when I saw another pair of shoes.  These shoes were beaten pretty heavily, too, but had only one small hole on the right side of the right shoe, and a still attached sole.  These shoes were also dry.  As I laced them up I thought about their former owner, Elder Wilson, who only a few weeks ago was running me into the ground (ha, punny) in these shoes.  As I comfortably got into Bentley's shoes, I said a prayer and asked for the strength to fill the metaphorical shoes he left behind here in Podgorica.  And it made all the difference.

So, all in all, it was a great week.  I'm dry, happy, and working. 

I love and miss you all! Happy Birthday Chip!

-Elder Hixon

Timing

First of all, a hand update.

My priorities and motivations were recharged this week and it was awesome! I took to heart some things in my patriarchal blessing about my hand, took it to the Lord, and now there's no letting my hand hold me back. I've been working hard and have even gotten into pushups and handstands, though I can only do those for so long before my hand's throbbing. Doc says the atrophy is pretty bad and that's what's causing pain-I have next to 0 muscles there.  So I am doing all I can. It's rough and hurts a lot, and though my motion and my usability have improved, it's not full and it is a patience building process. I really have to be patient with it, but I'm pushing it as far as I can. It felt really....cool, for lack of a better word, to let that one go. No need to stand in one place worrying and wondering what will happen, what the Lord's will was and just standing still waiting for a neon sign. I am going with the "just push this hand through these 6 months" route, and I feel good about it. I know that the Lord will heal my hand, but if not, then I'll get surgery later. It can't get worse now, right?

There's another story that I would like to share real quick from this week. I don't have a lot of time so it'll be a brief one.  There's a woman from Montenegro who went on foreign exchange to America 20 years ago. Her name is Ana.  She was staying with a host family who were members of the Church. She went to church with them, and she came to love the Church and wanted to be baptized. One thing or another happened, and the baptism didn't go through, but she just talked about the Church over and over when she came back. Her father would have her tell people visiting about her "American church" and she loved it.  She has stayed in contact with her friends from the host family ever since.  The new senior couple who just arrived knows this host family, and when they got their call they were told the story of this Ana from them.  Since arriving, this fairytale-like story has been on the minds of both the Taylor's and the rest of us. The host family has contacted Ana and informed her that the Church is finally in Montenegro, and we've been waiting.

This week contact was made, and Ana wants to meet all of us.  

So now we have direction, release the hounds!

I love you all. Thank you for your prayers and support, truly they are being answered and these people are being blessed because of you.  Like this host family of 20 years ago, let your light shine to all around you and continue to plant seeds.  You don't know the impact that such things have. Because of our promised potential, everything we do here has the power to leave Godlike impact. 

Love,

Elder Hixon

It's December

Whoa is it December?! That's weird. December is a good month.

Christmas! My mom is the best. 

So I've missed a few letters. It's getting hard to write general emails. I guess a confession about general emails is that they're loads easier to write when you have something to write about. Baptisms are a good thing to tell a story about. And in the beginning, even the mundane day to day things were cool to tell stories about because everything was all so new and exciting. But as I've grown accustomed to and adapted here, I've found that I don't blink an eye at things that blow my companion (2nd transfer Elder Pantelakis) away. "Sightseeing" and any of the unique aspects of this place are just a part of life; an extension of myself written in paint on the cement blocks that stretch all around.  So a word of advice to any of ye who embark in the service of God in the next little while, write down everything that is new, exciting and different. That way you can retain the excitement in writing for when it becomes numb.

That being said, I don't have a lot to write about. I have pictures from the last week or so to send, but other than that it's been slow. I'm going to physical therapy for my hand for 2 weeks before any decisions about surgery are made.  The verdict is that we should've done surgery on week one, but now its been almost 8 and if we can get around surgery, we will. So I have 2 weeks of a lot of pain to try and get my mobility and function back, and then we'll have more news on where we go from there. As for everything else, I'm healing and adjusting to things.  It's slow, but it's going.  

But we did have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at the senior couple's apartment. It almost tasted like home. Sister Taylor even managed to make stuffing from scratch. They're too good to us. I have so much to be thankful for this year. Oh! I do have one cool story. So we were teaching English on Tuesday after we flew in to Podgorica from all the travel, and Srdjan came early to what would've been our appointment with him after English. 

So he stuck around and participated with the class. Then, after the class was over, he says "Wait, can I say something?" Then he gets in front of the class and bears one of the most powerful and inviting (nonthreatening and natural) testimonies with the class. He told them, "no matter what religion you are, come here and you will find literal peace and joy. I have felt it, and you all can too." Questions were asked, and Srdjan ran the discussion. After everyone left, our good friend Bozina stayed and talked with Srdjan for a little while in a very personal and seeking way about the things Srdjan had said.  

Then, on Sunday Srdjan came to church (paid his tithing again.) and asked us if he could go out finding with us some nights. "When I help people I feel good, and when I share my testimony I feel the Spirit. And I'm in a real hard time right now guys, and I need the Spirit and happiness more than anything." So he's in for the long haul. This week will be sweet. He's the most prepared and willing person I've ever met.

So, even though my missionary effectiveness was pretty shot this week, Srdjan's was great!

Love you all, and I am very grateful for each of you. I mean that.

Elder Hixon

1) at night we sleep with the tree lights glowing in the front room. #justlikehome

2) another big orthodox temple here. #stillcooleventhoughitsnotours

3) rivers flooding cause of the rain, and it's brown now. #thebalkans

#whydoihashtag?