Hello world!
So, as for answering individual questions that I have received via Dear Elder and letters and from mom to this email, I will write out letters. (Those of you who HAVEN'T RETURNED MY LETTERS OR WRITTEN ONE....get on that. Mail is gold.)
I have 30 minutes to write, and every single day I explode with an "I have to write home about that!" Then when Monday morning comes...I can't remember it all in time. Then when I sign off, I remember stuff! So I salute all you missionaries who have written good letters, I hope to one day learn the trade. For now, forgive me.
Hannah you have to marry Elder Payne (The Czech elder who's our bud.) He's the most insane human I have ever met with regards to a servant of the Lord. He is valiant, and he is a stud! We do crossfit together up here, and he's set on joining the SEALs....so yeah. He's so awesome.
So this week was very good. The languages are progressing, I can read Cyrillic and get the gist of what I read, as well as understand a good amount of what my teacher says in either language. I know 3 of the 5 tenses, and I am slowly working ahead of the class to learn the 7 cases that complete the grammar portion, and my vocab is expanding rapidly (I hope.) Our first "investigator" Goran, who is actually our third teacher Brother Morris (for like a week longer, then he's moving to another job and we get another teacher) accepted the commitment to be baptized! Our last discussion with him was really great, and we understood most of his Serbian, and Elder Sheridan and I have been doing very well at teaching together and with the Spirit. We used to write our lessons, then split the translations, but that didn't work well. Now, we pray about and plan out our lessons for whomever we are going to teach, and we write it out together, then translate together. We speak our language a lot, and have had 2 English fasts (epic fails, but good attempts!)
Jesus The Christ is the best book I have ever read, I'm only a third of the way through!! I recommend everybody read it, especially those of you getting ready for your missions. It's incredible. What else is incredible is that EVERYTHING I read in my personal study will either answer my own prayers for myself or those for our investigators. It's no coincidence, and it's so real. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I love it. It's amazing! I learned so much about fasting this week, about having a 24 hour fast with a prayer, with a purpose, and then focusing my spirit and mind and prayers on the Lord and on what I'm fasting for, and my body subjects to my spirit and mind! I hardly am bothered by the hunger pangs (a triumph for me). Also, our next investigator is our hardest teacher, Brother Rubisch, as "David," and we don't have any information on him. It's a door knock meeting, and he's going to kill us :) It's tonight, and it's going to be so gnarly!!! hahaha
A few stories. Thursday I had a really hard day, my first. I don't know where it started, but it just was bad. I kept responding "Losh dan" (Bad day) to everybody. We learned past tense that day, and at the time it was impossible. IMPOSSIBLE. And then I didn't have any mail at lunch (not a big deal, but at that moment I was already having a bad day and bad attitude) and I was just being a bum! Then, the Sisters all were so uplifting...I really cannot express how thankful I am for our Sisters.
They are all so funny and awesome and kind and they bring the Spirit and held their shields for me that day. Then I got some mail from Nan and Lo and Dad and Kinsey, and it was reassurance to me that God blesses us after our trials. And then it got even better. As I continually asked the Lord for strength, my worries faded, the language barrier fell away, and Friday I picked back up and also learned the future tense in like 5 seconds. This language is incredibly hard, but this weekend has been so much of a blessing in teaching me that the language isn't number one priority.
Brother Morris showed us again our purpose as missionaries, and then some scriptures regarding God's call to us. NOWHERE is language even mentioned. He said it will come. Work your hardest, but don't worry. Your top priority is to fulfill your purpose, and the only way you can do that is to learn to feel the Spirit and teach by His promptings. He told us to make floors, but there's a reason we don't make one big jump from first to second floor, we make steps and stairs in between. I love my teachers. Each are so awesome in their own, different ways and I absolutely love learning. Brother Morris was in Belgrade most of his mission, with a few trips out of Serbia to Croatia, but then at the end of his mission, all the missionaries were pulled out of Serbia and into Croatia for government reasons and some other issues I am not entirely aware of. Then, because Croatia was flooded with elders, half of them were reassigned for their last 3 months to Colorado, English speaking. And Brother Morris was one of them. Many elders quit and went home. He told us that it tried everybody's faith more than any other experience, but that he stayed and loved it. Two people were baptized in Colorado by him, and he said that he felt that only he was able to assist those individuals and only he could touch their spirits with his. God does everything for a reason, it's our job to submit our will to him and come what may.
I am so glad to be here, so beyond excited for the weeks and months ahead. Time still flies by in weird ways. Days are long, weeks are short. Apparently the same goes up the line. Wrapping things up, here's something. All the 12 week languages are now 8 1/2-9 week languages, ours among them, and all transfers in missions are the same time. I didn't know that. But, that means I keep my companions out there for 8-9 weeks. It also means that, we will figure it out out there, but I will either come home the transfer before January 23rd, 2015m or in mid February which I am hoping for. The date on my proselyting card ends on February 15th. Just some fun facts! It's been amazing here! I love it! The Spirit is my best friend, and the Gospel is amazing. I love my Savior.
One last thing, my mind and heart were heavy, and I had been praying for answers all week, and had been receiving promptings and good feelings, but I felt I needed to continue those prayers. We went to the temple this morning, and nothing was coming (the temple experience was great still.) Then, when we were in the Celestial room, I knew I could receive guidance there. So I prayed and pondered the scriptures. I received great information and feelings, but not to my prayers. Then, near the end, Elder Sheridan leans over randomly and hands me the scriptures to me and points to some verses. Then, there in front of me, were words found in the Doctrine and Covenants that were God speaking to His servants, and I felt overwhelmed as though He was speaking to me. And the verses answered my desires and brought me such peace and joy that I began to cry. It was the most incredible experience so far. The firesides and devotionals all have been incredible, too much to write out, but this experience this morning was another testament to me that my God is my God, and that He loves me and knows me.
That's all I have for now! Keep it real, thoughts and prayers and mail are well received :)
I love and miss you all.
Elder Hixon
P.S. Elder McAllister is THE FUNNIEST human I know. Just saying. Saw a few more dopplegangers, but I can't remember them this second, I'll mail them to Nan. Cao!
