Elder Hixon: Podgorica 2.0

CHILEEEE!!!!!! Gawl what a stud. That's going to be so wild. He would. So Chip to go to a place that will return him with a lady winning language that is so useful in the rest of his life, you know like Serbian hahaha. I'm so proud of him. My heart was pounding when I opened my email. It fits, it feels right. I'm excited for him and proud. We get one month together, just enough time for me to prep him in that our missions will be nothing alike ;)

Well I told President I just wanted my last transfer to be like it was with Bent's? I told him that I just wanted it to be the hardest thing possible and for somebody to come and go to war with me.

He took that way too seriously.

Transfers calls.

I had actually just finished reading "The Will of the Father in All Things" by Holland, so obviously I was at a disadvantage when President called 2 days before transfer calls.

He says, "Elder Hixon, I need to know if you are willing to go back to Podgorica."

What. My stomach turned and I started breathing heavy and thought I was going to puke.

He said that Srdjan is having a rough go, and the work is struggling down there. He says we'll lose the building we meet in if we don't show the church that there's a reason to stay there, and I quote, "I need you to go save a nation." He stripped me of all responsibilities that could distract from straight in the streets bleeding. He's sending me down there to whitewash again with Elder Uhlig (German, Wyatt served in his parents' ward, served as AP til now, with Wilson before coming with me now).

And then President says (he knew he had to talk me up), "I need you on this one. I'm adjusting your purpose. Your purpose this last transfer is no longer to 'invite others....and help them'..., rather your only purpose now is to baptize with a capital B. I'm putting the most experience the mission has down there (which is true. Uhlig and Bennett go home 1 transfer after me, and Trotter goes home with me), a real dream team. So, are you in?"

Even though my stomach and head said that there was no way, I told him yes. So, Bolan leaves for Osijek tomorrow, I get two new guys, teach them in Novi Sad for a week, then fly down to Podgorica on April 7th.

And so we go. It's going to be wild, I was scared at first, but I went and prayed one of those prayers that I'll never forget about, and now I'm just stoked to work every second to the end down there. The fear is 100% gone. There's nothing holding us back now!!

Speaking of fear though. The end feels so real that it scares me. I'm alright with these last 9 weeks moving as slowly as possible. I don't want this to end. It is comforting knowing that the "mission" will never end, I can promise it won't. But this phase, this experience among the people of the Balkans...I know I've heard other missionaries talk nostalgically of their missions, but none of them loved theirs and their people as much as I love mine. I can't imagine life not here, doing this. So while this will undoubtedly be the hardest transfer of the mission, I wouldn't have it any other way, among any other people. Time to go love the Montenegrins one more time. It's fitting. Elder Wilson and I are among a few who've ended there, and I wouldn't end my mission like anybody else other than him.

Also, sidenote, but I am the first missionary that we know of since the foundation of the world (k, that's a stretch but it may be true), or at least in this dispensation, who's ever served in Podgorica twice. Haha nobody goes back.

So, just be ready for the best part of the mission yet. I'm excited, and again I'm humbled and to my knees in gratitude that I get to spend my last 9 weeks like this. There's nothing I'd trade for this.

I love you!!

Elder Hixon

A few pics from this week.

A goodbye yesterday with investigators and members--from bottom to top, left to right: Emina, Sister Peterson, Jovana, Sister Powell, Dragana, Mihael, Bolan, Josef, and me)