Under Duress!

I'm really the worst at writing these things and I'm not sure what I'm going to write about. This is really only being written due to my need to write these dang things haha because I only have 5 weeks left. So... maybe I'll just talked about highlights since being in Brazil!! 

I can't say it enough but getting to go back to Ibiuna was awesome!!! When I first got here and had that opportunity I was so so grateful. I got my haircut by the coolest guy Danilo who was a less active member when I served here an eternity ago. I also got to ride bikes around everywhere. Those didn't exist when I first started in Ibiuna so that was a fun little shake up. It was a blast being with Elder Pontual... honestly I believe it was there with him where I learned how to fry an egg. Maybe one day my wife will appreciate that haha. I also got to have all kinds of fun with our favorite family Kilton and Amanda! Kilton speaks both English and Portuguese fluently so it's pretty cool! And Amanda is amazing haha she's so funny. She's a big sass! She's like the missionaries mom so it's the best having members like that. Of course, meeting and teaching and baptizing Gaby was right out of a story book! It was amazing!! Everything worked so perfectly and it really was again a testament to me of God's love for me. It was there that I saw dreams be fulfilled. Literally!! 

Being in Vargem Grande was so unique. It wasn't much of a stellar area. But it was a time where i learned a lot about myself and about my Savior. It was a time that i put in some real work. I felt like my time in Vargem Grande was full of work work and more work. There i got the opportunity to be closer with Eduardo and Marcia and their sweet sweet family. What a joy! Those people are so kind and I hope to see them again some day! It was also in Vargem Grande where I met and taught Noranei and Eloa!! Such a humbling experience and taught me so much about the importance of Fast Offerings and the churches contributions to help those in need. I also had the chance to return back to Ibiuna ro visit our mini waterfall and got to have all kinds of scary fun at a little carnival fair thing. I've been in a few scary situations on my mission but wow, I almost died on those roller coasters... 

Getting to end my mission here in Vila Andrade and Panamby was yet again just another testament of God's love and His awareness of me. It has been here that I got to see Andrea again(it had been almost 30 months since the last time) and be able to work towards fulfilling a promise made forever ago! I've been able to have all kinds of fun with Elder Krett and live the Favela life which has been a blast. A little scary at times. Rn there is a serial killer in the Favela next to us and the police still can't find him because the Favela is huge. And the other day we were in the Favela of Colomba and were confronted by the gang members and they searched us for weapons because they thought we were the police. Then they told us to scram haha. It was good stuff! But even still, those dang carnival rides in Vargem Grande were more life threatening than these guys haha! Here I've met Ariel and Kauã and Mario and Aurora and Kaunne and Lucas and Carol and Paulinho and Fatima and Chiquo and all other kinds of people that my heart has attached to. I've been privileged to serve in this area where I have the best of both worlds. A very impoverished ward that is humble and helpful with a very wealthy ward that is also humble and helpful! It's been such a blast! 

Coming back to Brazil has done nothing more than further convince me that I'm a Son of God and He knows me and loves me! 

That's all for this week. Just a fun memory blast!!

Elder Hixon

God. Doesn't. Forget.

 

Well, I think it's been about 5 weeks! The closer you get to finishing the mission, the less and less you haheba desire to write these dang emails haha! But I'll be better! 

I'll catch you up to speed really fast on where I am and then share 2 quick miracles! 

I'm serving in the Panamby and Vila Andrade wards. Yes, I said goodbye to old Vargem Grande and left the Cotia Stake for the first time in my mission! And wow there is a real difference! There is money and expensive things in Brazil!!! Haha! My first week here I just couldn't believe all that I was seeing. I'm really in the city of São Paulo now and it's kind of crazy. They aren't getting about 10 million people living here(I think it's 10 million... mom feel free to fact check me). The streets are always packed with cars and people. It is always busy. Literally always. There is no break from the noise. This area is wildly unique because Panamby is a ward full of rich people. I'm talking RICH! Then Vila Andrade is a ward of very very poor people. Basically there are huge building and homes and apartment complexes in our area and then there is one massive Favela(a Favela is a cluster of homes on homes on homes on homes on homes. If you are interested, go look up Paraisópolis. This is the Favela in our area and it's the 2nd biggest in the state). The ward members from Vila Andrade almost all live in the Favela, then Panamby members live in the nice homes and pent houses and things. It is a very stark difference and you would think that the money would make Panamby more stuck up, but both wards are amazing. All they want to do is help. The Panamby ward is doing a monthly fast right now where each day out of the month of June they have at least 1 member fasting for missionary work. It's so cool! I might be in the best areas of the mission. It is amazing!! Oh also my companion is named Elder Krett. He is a musician song writer guy who speaks almost fluent English. He's big into American rock and roll music and is sometimes a bit rebellious. But I love him and we're doing great!:) 

When I was in my other area in Vargem Grande we met and started teaching Noranei and Eloá. We invited them to be baptized the 2nd contact we had with them and basically the rest is history because they were baptized on Saturday. But their story is so sweet so I'm going to share it! Noranei was a referral from a woman in our ward who claims she got baptized but no one can find her records and she doesn't want to get baptized again(believe me... I tried... the dimples didn't work with this old lady). She told Bishop that she had a friend who had gone 8 days without gas in her home and little to no energy. Bishop sent us and told us to go see what needs to be done in that regards and if we could help. We of course needed to be a little careful because it is very common in Brazil for people to use the church for money. And so the church here is a little more reluctant to give big financial aid because of the amount of poverty cases they deal with. So we called her the first night and shared a little scripture. We found out her husband had passed away a year prior due to Covid-19 and she was struggling with that loss. She never once brought up her problem with lack of energy and gas. We then went to visit her 2 days after and as we found our way to her house(shack may be a better term to describe her living conditions) we were touched deeply. We decided to teach the Plan of Salvation and invited her grand daughter, Eloá, to participate. We taught for about 30 minutes and we talked about her husband and that they had the chance to be reunited again through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We then invited them both to be baptized and they firmly said yes. Up until this point, Noranei still hadn't made any attempt to beg for help or money due to her current situation, she didn't even bring it up. We then closed with a prayer and after the prayer asked if there was anything more we could do to help. Noranei then went on to explain her lack of energy and gas and told us that her and her grand daughter had been eating bread they were getting for free from the bread store down the street and drinking juice for the past 10 days. She said she wasn't too worried about it because God always is in control and when He wills it, her and her daughter will get real food again. All she asked of us was if there was any way we could help with that. She then followed it up with a, "But if not, I'm okay. I know who my God is". Her faith was remarkable. We told her we weren't sure what we could do but we'd go and talk to the local leaders of the church. And then, the rest really was history. The church aided and Noranei and Eloá are eating much healthier and are living real lives! As I was talking with my parents we were reminded of the story of Elijah and the widow.(I'm not explaining much of the story. If you aren't familiar with it, go study more) The widow was promised that the oil would never run out and we often like to think of it as a miracle of never ending oil, which it was. But maybe the "never ending oil" was the ward she became a part of as she accepted the prophet into her home.  Then she had others looking out for her and her son. Much like Noranei and Eloá. Their "never ending oil" came after they continually trusted in God and accepted the missionaries, and the "never ending oil" for them comes in the form of ward members caring for them. 

Miracle #2! So  Back when I was in the MTC(close to a billion years ago) I met a sister named Sister Araujo. She was super cool and on the first day we met she asked where I would be serving my mission. When I told her the São Paulo West mission she got way excited and told me her family lives in that mission. She then made me promise her that I would find and teach her family because none of them were members. Throughout my mission I've thought about this promise I made to her and in a good amount of ways i kind of gave up on it. My mission was ending and I just didn't serve enough time in São Paulo to really find her family. Then fast forward to this last Sunday. A woman went up to bare her testimony and I immediately recognized her and was almost certain she was Sister Araujo. After the meeting we talked and the first words she said to me was "I remember you!". She remembered the promise as vividly as I did and we did some rejoicing. Of all the areas I could be serving in, Panamby is the right one. It was another loose end that God has tried up for me. I was brought to my knees on Sunday in the spirit of adoration and gratitude. It was a very touching miracle and we are hoping to get something happening with her family. Their interest level is a 0 right now but I know through earnest prayer and effort things can change! I am so grateful for our God! He is miraculous and really knows the beginning to the end

Miracles never cease! The Lord is in control and knows what He is doing! I love Him. I am so grateful for my mission. It really is the mission that keeps on giving. It wasn't easy to get out, it wasn't easy to stay out(I got sent home twice remember?), but it really has changed my life for the better. God keeps showing me I made the right choice to serve! He shows me His love each day. And for that, I am forever grateful!

Tchau tchau!! Amo vocês!!!!

Elder Hixon