Georgia!

Well I am here. 6 months flew by and now I am here in McDonough Georgia! I live in an apartment with 3 other Elders. My comp, Elder Wheeler, then Elder Hudson and Elder Aquino. Coming from Utah, Montana, and Hawaii. They are funny and vibrant. All of them left right around the same time I left for my mission the first time so it has been fun to be able to kind of relate in those ways. 

There are many differences from my mission in Brazil. Here we have phones, cars, bikes, and English. And these 4 things make my two areas of service a LOT different. Contacts that are normally done walking in the street all day in Brazil are split up here through texts, calls, Facebook messaging, biking, and all other ways to communicate and travel. The days are quite short here in my area. Due to lack of lighting on our bikes and neighborhood my senior companion has decided we are in doors by 6. Which makes the work slow down a good amount. That is 3 and a half hours less of being out and about than in Brazil. And honestly has been a bit of a struggle and frustration for me! When people here ask what we can do to further work I want to scream GET OUTSIDE MORE DUH! But it doesn't always work like that here. 

We have not been into the home of a non member or taught a lesson yet which is teaching me patience. I was more used to Brazil, teaching and teaching and more teaching. So I am learning the need to adjust and have patience in the Lord's timing. I have also gained respect for my Uncle Brian and cousin Keaton and all other bike enthusiasts out in the world. I have been riding for a few days and my BUM IS SORE!!! I can hardly sit down anywhere anymore. Hoping I gain some better bum resistance to bike seats soon. 

This week was great. One of the things I enjoyed most this week was our Sacrament meeting. Here in the Stockbridge ward, each year the Sunday before Thanksgiving they will have a Hymn testimony meeting. Much like a regular testimony meeting where members come up and bare testimony but the testimonies are shorter and revolve around a hymn that the member of the congregation decides to share. Then the congregation sings the first verse of the hymn. It was one of the most spiritual meetings I have ever been apart of. Many prayers were answered and the spirit bore witness to me of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the true church on the earth today. 

I had another experience I would like to share in regards to personal prayer and scripture study. 

I was praying with what I felt was real intent looking for answers that honestly were right in front of me. But at the time could not see them. Many people had told me and were telling me the answers yet I so blindly missed them. But I continued to study in the Book of Mormon and the Lord knew my heart. As I read in Ether 13 I got to verse 20 and I realized that the Lord has been sending me the obvious answer all along. In that verse Ether is commanded to preach Repentance to Coriantumr. Unfortunately Coriantumr did not listen to the heedings of the prophet and was destroyed. But let us listen to the "obvious" answers that are given to us. Faith, repentance, and relying on the Savior Jesus Christ. Everything will fall in place we must believe that! I am grateful for my family and friends who have always lead me to the "obvious" answers during my times of trial! I am grateful to be a missionary of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Eu amo voces!! Eu vou continuar com fé, esperança e caridade!!! 

Elder Hixon