Holidays and Transfers

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! This week was busily not busy. So it was goodly not good. Yes, holiday weeks as a missionary can be odd. This transfer has been exciting. To have Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years all in the same transfer is awesome. Many opportunities to invite others to come unto Christ.

I was able to talk to my family this Christmas. Yes... we technically can every week but I don't do that. I try and keep holidays special in that aspect so we only talk on certain holidays and birthdays. My family doesn't want to hear from me that much anyway haha. We are also transferring later this week. I will be leaving Stockbridge. Not exactly sure where I am headed but I won't be here anymore. Also... VISA! Yes my Visa cleared this week!! I will leave for Brazil on the 20th of January! So I am way excited.

I do not have a lot of time this week but I will share one thing I learned this week.

What I learned this week is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ truly is for everyone. It is not a Gospel that can be for everyone, it is a Gospel that IS for everyone. There is not a Soul on this earth that the Gospel isn't for. Every single person on the earth needs it. Not later, not in the next life, but now. Many will reject it, but they need it now. It has been interesting to really come to this realization. We all need this Restored Gospel. And we need it right now. We all need to have more faith. We all need to repent more. We all need to come closer to our covenants. We all need to be living worthily to have the Holy Ghost with us. And we all need to endure to the end. I am learning that as I invite anyone and everyone to partake of this Gospel, my joy is more full and I feel more purpose to my existence. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. He is our Redeemed and our Advocate. He loves each of us more than we can even comprehend. I testify that as we do anything to come closer to him, there is immediately more joy in our lives.

I love you all! Have a Happy New Year!!

Elder Hixon

Elder Hixon  and Elder (...) slept out on the balcony so that could have a cold Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! 

This week was full of tender mercies and great blessings. The Lord truly does bless us each and every day and it feels like he blesses us even more when we take time to count our blessings. Gratitude is THE attitude of a joyful person. I am learning that more and more as I see the lives of so many faithful people in this world. I love McDonough Georgia!! 

We were able to teach our Brazillian miracles this week. It was one of the happiest times I have had so far being back out. It brought so much joy and peace to be able to talk to them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the language of Portuguese. What a blessing it is to be a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no joy quite like the joy of sharing the Gospel with other people. It is unique. 

In sacrament meeting this week, each member of the bishopric spoke. It was powerful. Each of them spoke on an aspect of Christ. The 2nd counselor spoke on Jehovah of the Old Testament, the 1st counselor spoke on Jesus Christ and his mortal ministry, and the Bishop spoke on Jesus Christ in our lives now and forever. It is always inspiring to talk of Christ and listen to words spoken about him. He has always been and will always be Our Savior and Redeemer. 

We did our final night of Hot Cocoa on Saturday and were able to give away a few Books of Mormon and discuss with some people about our church. It was fun, and cold, and wet. It has been raining for the past 3 days non stop. Which has been a blast. 

The Lord is good. Christmas is wonderful. In 3rd Nephi chapter 1 we read about a people who have quite the trial of faith but they remained faithful and were blessed exceedingly. The witness comes after the trial of our faith. Always. God is unchanging and that is His way. So let us welcome trials into our lives with glad hearts because as we remain faithful, our witness WILL come and we WILL have joy and peace. 

Feliz Natal!!

Elder Hixon 

The Stockbridge Miracle!

Well this week was an interesting one. I will do my best to adequately describe my week but time is not my ally today. 

Tuesday we had a temple zone conference. It was such a blessing to be able to be in the House of the Lord. The peace within remains the same no matter where we are in the world. The Atlanta temple is amazing. 

The week was full of Christmas festivities. Ward parties, hot chocolate stands, stocking filling and hanging up Christmas lights/decorating for Christmas. It is a very joyous time to be alive. 

I will share one of the greatest miracles of this week. My companion and I have been earnestly trying to find more people to teach. As all missionaries, we pour through preach my gospel and try all sorts of effective ways to find those that need the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Due to the Christmas season it is harder to find people who are very accepting or want us in their home due to extended family being over and or vacations and the busy-ness of the year. But we knew we needed to keep finding and trying. 

It sometimes is difficult being here in Georgia. My mind will often float to the un-promising island of "what if's" and "if only's". Thinking about how had I stayed on my mission and kept my mouth shut and kept my heart hard I could still be in Brazil with about 10 months under my belt. And it really does bring me down thinking this way. I was opening my heart into deep prayer and fasting and studying the scriptures with the question of why. Even though the Lord has answered that questions many times for me, I seemed to desire another answer. And then as we were going from door to door with little success, I received one of the most tender mercies I had ever received from the Lord. 

My Companion got a phone call from another Elder in our District. He called looking for me. As I picked up the phone he explained to me the situation of a woman he had found. She has sincere interest in the Book of Mormon and the gospel of Jesus Christ but, as you might have guessed SHE ONLY SPEAKS PORTUGUESE! My heart was filled to bursting. This was a dream come true. The Lord truly does know me, my circumstance, and loves me. He hears and really does answer every prayer in his own time. I anticipate greatly the chance to meet this woman in person soon this following week and be able to help in a way only the Savior knew I could. 

I know without a doubt that this Gospel is true. It is pure and simple. As we continue to exercise Faith through Repentance we open the door to limitless blessings from our Father in Heaven. As we take these 2 principles and allow them to carry us to make covenants through baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, as well as temple covenants, our lives will have more meaning and we will be better empowered to battle the adversary for the Salvation of our Soul. 

Take this week to remember our Covenants

Elder Hixon

Lit the World!

A good week in McDonough.

Well we will start with quick highlights.

#1 Ate a Baby Octopus... very chewy. The tentacles or arms or whatever you call them were very very chewy... the head was cake to eat.
#2 We gave away about 250-300 cups of hot chocolate for free at the McDonough square! It was also during the parade so it was super fun!! Gave away Books of Mormon and all the good stuff. We lit the world!
#3 I nailed a bulls eye while playing with our new magnet dart board in the apartment... pretty cool
#4 We did an Escape the Room. But it was a lot different than normal ones. It was a huge camera museum that the people occasionally turn into an Escape the Room type of thing. Pretty fun.
#5 TAUGHT OUT FIRST LESSONS THIS WEEK FINALLY
#6 I have a NEW NIECE YES BABY PENNY BEST THING OF THE WEEK

That is basically my week. I do not have a lot of time today. But we taught a few lessons this week. We taught an older man who played linebacker for Alabama way back when. We also taught a sweet single lady who is going through a TON right now but is very receptive and kind and wants to feed us. And then we taught another lady who also has a lot on her plate and was not very receptive but hey, we taught. The names I will use for these folks is Martin, Lauren, and Reagan. When I get in Brazil I probably will not use fake names but I feel that here in Georgia I will need to. It was a week full of biking and meetings. It is amazing the amount of revelation that can come to you while you are on a bike. It has become one of my favorite things. A time to almost be alone, because we can not talk to each other that well while biking, and a time to think and ponder.

One of the biggest things I am learning(definitely have not learned or mastered it at all) this week is that we can truly choose to be happy. In the Christmas Devotional on Sunday the wonderful reminder that Joy does not depend on the circumstances of our lives but the focus of them. I am learning that I need to have a better focus on the Plan of Salvation, and being at the center of that plan is both the Family and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Maintaining an eternal perspective is critical in our ability to feel and appreciate both Joy and Sorrow. As many of you might have also studied in church this Sunday, the talk by M. Russel. Ballard which is titled, Giving our Spirits Control Over our Bodies, struck me deeply. I thought of even more ways my Spirit could be even more in control of my Body. It has been a very neat thing for me to think about the events of my day during my nightly prayers, and see where the Body was in Control vs. the Spirit. Then to repent and try to change it the next day. There is Joy to be had as we continually repent and try to become better.

Alright well,

Have a fantastic week

Elder Hixon

More in McDonough

Another week in McDonough. This week seemed to slowly fly by. Yes, I am sure if you asked any missionary that is how they would describe weeks. This week was full of small miracles and tender mercies.

Thanksgiving was definitely one of them. I was able to FaceTime my family for the first time and that was pretty fun. We were fed by a member named Daniel. He serves in the Army as an interrogator. He is single though, had a tough divorce about a decade ago but is still strong and active in serving the Lord. We played lots of UNO, watched a lot of church videos, ate good food, and talked to our families. We also had a Turkey Bowl earlier that morning. I would not say I am a Bryan Dryer at Quarterback but my team won as I was the QB so..... 

Biking has not gotten easier yet. I have heard that the pain will cease as calluses come. So, let's pray for calluses. And pray that we do not get lost again while biking. Lots of unnecessary hills were biked on Wednesday. But it was good. Life here is good. 

We still have yet to teach a lesson with a non member but we are doing our best. My comp and I decided to start doing a lot more door to door tracting. yes we are a technology mission, but nothing is better than some good door to door finding. It brought a little bit of success. We met 2 new families that seemed eager to be taught but at the time, due to holidays, were unable to have us into their homes. So this week we are going to try and tract a few neighborhoods. My hopes are high. It seems this week I have had to learn a similar lesson I learned as I was heading home from Brazil. Obedience does bring personal growth yes, but hard work will allow us to further grow our potential in Gathering the Lord's children across the world. So my comp and I are trying our best to work hard and are faithful in the miracles that will follow. 

I learned a few things this week while doing some family history. One coupled right into working hard. My Great Grandpa Kenneth Irving Hixon lived by the motto, "Any job worth doing, is worth doing well". And as I read stories from his life I was even more motivated to Gather Israel here in the GAM(Georgia, Atlanta Mission). I felt my spirits lifted as I read back and reflected on my Great Grandpa's life and was able to learn some of the lessons that he learned through his life by just taking the time to read them! Family history is important. Not just in doing the indexing or finding for temple ordinances but also being edified and strengthened by finding out more about our ancestors. The blessings and strength that come from us when we think on the experiences of our families is innumerable. Let us be better at seeking after our kindred dead. 

I also felt a wave of love towards our Prophet Russel M. Nelson and his apostles this week. They truly are inspired men. As a missionary we teach of the Restoration of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that ALL things must be restored. We teach that the Lord will continue to restore his church to how he desires it to be. During a bible study that is held by some members in our ward the question was asked, "Why is the Come Follow Me program being released?" And as I sat there thinking about the question my answer came by the Spirit. This Come Follow Me program, as a Home Centered Gospel learning place, is part of this magnificent restoration. It is not brand new, but a restoration. Something I thought about then was these new Book of Mormon videos. We are able to see a new glimpse of how life was for this family of Lehi and of Laman and Lemuel and Nephi, Jacob, Sam and Joseph. And I thought about how it almost seemed like there was not much of a church, what there were times the families would gather and have sacrifices and make covenants, as well as there were times that they would listen to the prophet Lehi or Nephi or Jacob or whoever was impressed upon by the Spirit of the Lord to teach. What I can imagine is that the bulk of the Gospel was taught within the individual families. Much like this Come Follow Me program. And because of this, it would make sense that Laman and Lemuel's little families were not fed the Gospel because the ones who were charged to teach it did not. Those being Laman and Lemuel and their wives. How important it is for our own families to choose to be all in with the new Come Follow Me program. It truly is a restoration of things that were once practiced. It is a way that we as Children of our Heavenly Father can reach our full spiritual potential and continue His great work. Let us do better and be better. Any job worth doing, is worth doing well... Especially the job of teaching the Gospel within in our own homes. 

Another week for McDonough! The work continues!

Elder Hixon

Elder Wheeler