Come Come Ye Saints

Well this week was another one for the books! We had plenty of miracles and tender mercies that have been shown to us this week. God is amazing! 

One of our miracles was a baptism!! We were grateful able to be the ones to baptize and confirm Morgana Goodlow as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Sunday! She has now joined us as saints! She has come and became and will continue to become. It was such an amazing opportunity to be able to feel the Spirit of God attend our meeting. Feelings of joy, humility, peace and reverence were in abundance. The Bishop of our ward gave a powerful closing testimony and he got pretty emotional about the fact that this baptism would be the first official church gathering for our ward since March! It is amazing to gather together. At home church has been new and fun in some ways but there really is a sweet spirit that comes with gathering as a ward family. I anxiously look to this coming Sunday where we will begin meeting as a ward for sacrament meeting. In the Book of Mormon we learn about the importance of gathering together and fasting together and partaking of the sacrament together. It really is a huge help to strengthening our individual conversion unto the Lord Jesus Christ. 

I'm grateful for the Book of Mormon. It seems as if everytime I am having a struggle, as I faithfully read that book the Spirit guides me to an answer through the words on the page. It is a sacred and holy text that can teach us simply how to better turn towards the Savior. I am grateful for Joseph Smith and his crucial role in restoring the church along with his role of translating the Book of Mormon. On the 24th we thought a lot about pioneers of course and I'm sure most everyone everywhere thought about or sang the words from the hymn "Come Come Ye Saints". Not many other hymns have had such a profound influence on me as that one. Lines like "Why should we think to earn a great reward, if we now shun the fight?" and "Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard? Tis not so, all is well". These are attitudes I wish to adopt more closely in my own life. Early day pioneers were some of the strongest spirited souls to walk the earth. Amidst all kind of persecution and mobbings and everything, theh still continued on in the faith. In my mission I serve in what is known as "The land of bloody footprints". Sacrifice has been a key to conversion since the very beginning. And the attitude of the pioneers during sacrifice is such an example to me. All really is well. Life honestly isn't that bad. And quitters will never get what they want. I love this Gospel and I love the joy that comes from trying to live it!

Love you all!!

Elder Hixon 

Perspective!

This week was tough! But that's definitely A-okay! And as I say this week was tough... I probably don't really mean that. Things usually aren't as hard as we make them out to be. So actually, this week was good.

The week started out super awesome. We had a bomb lesson with Nessa and the spirit was super strong and she recommitted to better live some of the laws we had taught about. Then the next day we met someone new and taught her! And then the day after that we found yet another person to teach with amazing potential!:) we were also able to go visit her and drop a Book of Mormon off at her house and talk with her mother about the church and the Book of Mormon. It felt SO good to finally have some in person teaching. I absolutely love the spirit of in person interaction. AND GUYS THE NEXT DAY MORGANA PASSED HER BAPTISMAL INTERVIEW SO YES THIS SUNDAY WE ARE HAVING HER BAPTISM WOOT WOOT! Morgana is super neat. She just graduated High School and honestly has just totally taken every lesson and invitation to heart. She really has been converted. I love when we are able to truly baptize converts. I know she isn't in this because of me or my companions but truly because of her relationship with Jesus Christ. We are very excited. We also had a lesson with a mother we have been teaching and we proposed the idea that hopefully we could meet with her and her whole family. She has a husband and 4 kids. She agreed and we set up an appointment for this week to teach her whole family. She is excited and BOY ARE WE EXCITED! Then the next day we were able to have a conversation with a man over Facebook who feels like he doesn't believe in God anymore but really wants his two daughters to be taught by us and have a chance to hear our message. It was amazing and humbling to see the selflessness in this man. He is a true father. He wants what is best for his family first and foremost! Then on Saturday the miracles really started flowing. We were able to get in contact with 5 people that really want to hear our message next week! And you better believe that on Sunday, again, we had a few more people that agreed to hearing a message for this next week. We have been blessed! Our schedules are literally checked full of lessons and teaching! Before this week our teaching pool felt heavy around 8 or 9 solid people but now we are having hopes of doubling that by the end of this following week. The miracles definitely don't cease as we have faith and we work hard. That's all the Lord asks of us! He has prepared many. More so than have ever been prepared in the history of the earth. There are more people right now ready to here the Gospel than ever before! This is why social media missionary life is becoming such a thing. There are too many prepared people for us to have to go to every single one's house and knock on doors to find them and then spend over an hour for each lesson in each home. We wouldn't have time nor be able to reach everyone. But the Lord knew that before. And He knows that now. There are so many prepared for us and we just need to keep working hard to find them. We will be beyond blessed!

Despite what I said earlier, my week honestly was a pretty tough week. And I've had a good amount of tough weeks in my life as I'm sure you all have as well. Many times this week I thought "Come on Lord, haven't I been through enough? Can't I just be blessed with ease?" What a selfish and bratty statement huh? So I decided not to talk about the harder things of the week. Because when I take those things out of my week, my week seems pretty miraculous. I'm so grateful for a mother who reminded me at a time of hardship this week that it really is all about perspective. To be happy, we need to always be adjusting our perspective. Allowing it to grow and grow and maybe one day, we will finally be able to grasp the eternal perspective that apostles and prophets have asked us to gain. I am so grateful for the joy and satisfaction of missionary work!

Love y'all

Elder Hixon 

A Short One!

Well this week was eventful. We had hurricane Katrina sweep in. We also did service for some MAD hoarders so it was fun. The smell was VERY rancid... and I am 97% convinced there was a dead body hidden in their basement. There were dressers piled up blocking the only door to the basement. This house is over 100 years old. We asked the daughter of this lady what was down there... this daughter had some sort of autism but... she did a weird sequel grunt and ran away from us. And the lady ALSO told us that her oldest daughter died but wouldn't give any details... I've listened to enough crime podcasts in my life to know what was going on there. When I had to put something in the attic I was scared to death and was praying like it was my last. Luckily, we all survived and all was well. And the old lady had me cut the pizza with scissors so it was something good to learn. We also did some other service for a member named Tony. We built a super cool shed and he scared me to death with his snake. He's got some spider python death animal snake. I will never ever EVER have a snake. And if I ever see one after my mission it is a kill on sight type of attitude. I hate snakes and I always will. 

One thing I've learned this week is that Come Follow Me is truly inspired. It has had all of our answers as a companionship this week. As well as for me personally. Get into Come Follow Me studying. The prophet is asking us to do it! If we do not heed a prophet's voice... then there is no guaranteed spiritual safety. He is our watchmen on the high tower. Listen to him! Study Come Follow Me and be blessed!!! 

Love y'all!!!

Elder Hixon

Let Freedom Ring!

I hope all had a great 4th! We over here in East Moline had a fantastic 4th of July. We were able to watch a bazillion fireworks. Literally from 7PM-Midnight there were fireworks everywhere. It was awesome. We also had a fun miracle. We are in small ways working with the BEST missionaries from the Salt Lake City Temple Square mission! (yup you already know... Sister Owens)They are helping us teach and fellowship someone we are teaching. It has been a HUGE miracle! 

I dont have much to share this week. It was another week in the work. That's about all. We witnessed miracles and tried being missionaries. It was a very uplifting week. The only thing needed to be said this week is thanking God for our freedoms. I am so grateful to live in the only country in the world where there is so much freedom. I hope that we all truly reflect on the freedoms we have as citizens of the United States of America and turn to God in thanks. He has blessed this land. We will continue to be free as long as we stay true to our covenants. I am learning that as long as I worry about that, everything else will workout. There is no need to worry about anything else! It would be very foolish to have thoughts and worries that are based on things that in essence do not matter. Our standing with God is of most importance. And it is only through Him that our freedoms will be magnified. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ amen!

Elder Hixon