Goodbye Elder Davis

Well, changes have come and gone once again. 

They bring a lot of mixed feelings, changes. Really. I have always been a morning person. I love mornings. I also love Monday´s. And I love changes. All 3 of these things bring me feelings of hope and of opportunity. Another chance. Another shot. Fresh starts. I really do love new beginnings. 

But...for obvious reasons, new beginnings also means an end to the way things were. It´s really sad to see Elder Davis go. I felt it before we were companions, and I feel even stronger so now: He is a hero of mine. I want to share a few things that I learned while serving with Elder Davis, in the short time I have to write. Ready, go:

-If I have a random thought, it´s probably the Spirit. Elder Davis just stopped and talked to random people as we were headed to teaching appointments. No, we didn´t try to stop and teach every single person that crossed our path...but I could tell when Elder Davis believed that God wanted him to teach someone, because he ALWAYS acted upon that feeling. Even if that meant turning around to go back to somebody that had already passed us by. 

-On Monday, our last morning together, I really wasn´t surprised when the alarm sounded at 7 o´clock and Elder Davis asking "Ready to go for a run?". In CV Football, they called that "running THROUGH the line, not TO it"

-He showed me his carry-on bag, for the plane. Inside, there were 3 things: 

1. The Book of Mormon 

2. El Libro de Mormón and some lesson pamphlets 

3. Scripture markers. 

He had a goal to be a missionary until the very end. To share and study until he was released.

-One time, I commented to him: "Man. The mission is awesome. It´s like, the WORST that can happen is you get rejected. Maybe a little wet in the rain. Worst case scenario, you walk around being rejected and a wet for a couple of hours."

His comment is pretty legendary, kind of funny, but also describes his understanding of what he was doing: 

"Well, or you can end up being an unfaithful steward and be condemned for not taking care of the things that The Lord has entrusted you with, and lose that which you already have."

Truth. 

-In our last week together, he did the personal and private interview that M Russel Ballard invited us to do in the last General Conference, including a study of Alma chapter 5 and asking ourselves those same questions. After doing the study, he commented to me: "You know, Elder Hixon. There is always room to improve, and I am not a perfect person. But I do feel like I´m trying my best to do everything I can, and that The Lord is pleased with what I have done. If I were to die right now, I think I would be ready."

I am grateful for the time I had to be companions with Elder Davis. He might be the only person that I have gotten to know who seems to really have felt the weight and responsibility of the Missionary Mantle. I was able to learn a lot about what The Lord expects of me by being with him. What a great companion. What a hard change to say goodbye to.

But, another opportunity is here again. My new companion, Elder Riofano, is fluent in French...which now makes teaching Hatians actually a very possible thing to do. The majority of them speak French. That is a whole new door of missionary work that just opened here in La Cisterna. Elizabeth and Yamil are progressing still! Demian was baptized and confirmed, and will receive the Priesthood next Sunday!!

I have tons of pictures of all these things, but I left my USB in the house of a member and don´t have it with me. I´ll have to send them next week :)

-Elder Hixon