Conference was AWESOME, I already have downloaded all of the talks that I especially liked and have re-listened to a few, man they were so good. I also really like Elder Uchtdorf´s point that the sheep don´t have to do anything to be sought after by Christ, the fact that they are sheep draws in The Shepherd. Way Cool.
Things are starting to pick up again. We found 4 new potentials this week, we have a baptismal date for Amaro (kid of Karla, my favorite investigators/less actives) for the 1st of May and I think I will be the one to baptize him. We found some Hatians a couple weeks ago who are AWESOME but we had to give them to the other 2 Elders in the house because they don´t live in our half of the ward...super super lame but it´s all good. It doesn´t matter who teaches as long as they are being taught.
It´s been a rainy week here in Santiago, contacting in the rain is pretty...cold. And it makes rejection more bitter but it does make us appreciate the few lessons we get. My mission is by no means the old South America stereotype, where thousands are being baptized. It´s no Serbia, but the majority of the time we are getting rejected and the people aren´t that nice. Some are, but some are pretty mean haha, especially to us Gringos. But it´s nice being with Elder Huaiquiñir, people naturally like him because he´s from Santiago so he speaks exactly like everyone else and knows the lifestyles here better than anyone. So it´s nice.
I have been doing a lot of reflecting today, we went to the Temple to know what we can do to make the most out of this change, and I realized a lot of things that I have been doing wrong. Things that I learned in the CCM that have faded away with the reality of the mission life, things that I should be more consecrated about, and just a lot of things in general. It was great because I really feel like my eyes were opened, but kind of overwhelming because I have realized there´s a lot of things that I have to improve.
(Florentina came to conference, less active )
Thoughts on Conference (If you're interested)
There were 3 major points of Conference that I feel like I could improve on, 3 focal points around which I could better center both my mission and my life.
1) The Temple. There seemed to be a focus on temples this Season, and the key roles that temples can, and should, have in my life. Although as a missionary my opportunites temple are limited, I still can live a temple-worthy life and bring this glorious restored truth to those I teach every day. I´ve thought a bit about what it really means to be worthy to go through the temple, and I think our standards of worthiness really raise every time we go through the temple. Greater light, greater condemnation kind of an idea. In the temple, we learn our divine role and identity and the expectations that God has for us, which are in harmony with the infinite potential we have as Children of God.
2) The Sacrament. After going through the temple, and really reflecting on who we are and who we are to become, I think it´s easy to get disanimated and realize how incapable I am as a mortal, and how easily I fall to the temptations of the flesh. With my own incapability in mind, I should naturally turn to The Sacrament, where my imperfections and faults and pains are swallowed up in the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. By focusing on the Sacrament every day, I can better grow to and become the person who I have learned I need to become as a result of going to the temple. The Sacrament can help me better reach the goals I set after going through the temple.
3) The Family. The Why behind everything. Why do I care who I am, or who I will become? Why does it matter if I am imperfect, or if I have divine potential? What good does it serve to be perfect anyway? What is it about eternal perfection that brings happiness? Because if I were perfect, I could more perfectly help my family. The better I become, the more capable I am to help my family. The motivation to focus on The Sacrament and The Temple is The Family. The Family is the base doctrine on which The Temple and The Sacrament are necessitated. If I can focus on my family daily, present family and future family, I can more easily stay focused and interested in The Sacrament and The Temple.
I hope I can better center my life around these three things this week, these 2 years, and for the rest of eternity.
I love you all,
-Elder Hixon
(futbol and my comps jersey from when he played before (his name is David)
(Hermana Cook)
