Merry Christmas From Spain!...also this includes 2 letters from Elder Dixon

December 23, 2013

Hola, y Feliz Navidad a todas!!! Thank you all for all the cards and notes you have sent me, I really really loved reading them....I probably should have waited till Christmas, but still, I really enjoyed them. 

 

So, this week was crazy. when we found out Elder Wiscombe was leaving, stuff just got hectic around here in Zaragoza, because Maria Angeles wanted him to baptize her, and we made it work!!  But for those two days, we were running everywhere, and it was super crazy - super fun, but I'm still recovering.  Yesterday she was confirmed too, and she is absolutely amazing.

 

Also, another thing that was crazy was that I got to go on a three day companionship exchange, starting right after Elder Wiscombe left.  It was really great, and during those three days I helped set 4 baptismal dates.....the first four in that area of Zaragoza in about 5 months.  It was really a great experience. 

 

Oh, another thing that was really great this week was we got to see the belen (nativity) and we went ice skating, which was a ton of fun. I really love being on a mission. Also, to those friends who have started their papers or turned them in, Way To Go!!!!!  That is super neat, and I can't wait to see where you guys go.

 

Love you all!!!! And Merry Christmas!!

 

Elder Dixon

December 16, 2013

Wow, this week has been crazy, again. And also a little bit sad. Well, more bittersweet. Anyway, this week we went to Llerida again for a zone conference, and it was super awesome. We learned all about using the Book of Mormon to teach effectively. It was way cool. But then, I also found out that Elder Wiscombe is being transferred in the mini transfer.....in other words, tomorrow. I'm super sad. He is going up to Vitoria to be a zone leader. it's really a cool thing for him, and I am excited for him, but I really don't want him to go, and he still needs to finish my training!!! Oh well. Eso es la vida de un missioniaro. (This is the life of a missionary) But, one blessing is that Maria Angeles is going to be baptized tomorrow so Elder Wiscombe can baptize her!!! It's so great. I am so excited for her. We have been scrambling like crazy trying to get everything ready. 

 

Also this week we had a Christmas concert. It was pretty fun.  We sang in a bunch of different languages, and it was really neat, and a ton of people came. We weren't allowed to contact though, which was a bummer. But we handed out a ton of DVD's of Joy to the World. (if you haven't seen it yet, you should) It was really a good experience though.

 

The other thing that was really fun is we went over to a member's house, his name is Vicenso (vee chen so) and he is from Brazil. He is 18, and we went over there last preparation day to have a nerf war. I have never seen so many nerf guns in one place at a time except in stores!! It was a ton of fun, and at the end Hermana Maldonado (his mom) made us Brazilian hot chocolate. It was really good. 

 

Well, that was pretty much my week. The work is moving forward!!!

 

Love,

 

Elder Dixon

Camels...real camels!!

December 9, 2013

So this week was absolutely insane!!!!!!!!!!  Whiplash has officially set in, and our piso (apartment) is super crowded, because now we have 6 in a little 4 room piso. Why do we have 6 people?  Because I have 3 companions now...we are in a quad, not a trio anymore, which is weird.  Our new elder is Elder Gil from the Canary Islands, so a native Spanish speaker, who fortunately speaks English, but he is visa waiting to go to the Mexico East Mission, which is also crazy because he has no MTC training. 

Anyway, because of this last preparation day turned into another trip to IKEA and the mall... no ice skating.  This week though we will be going to play nerf with a member and ice-skate and shop and maybe see the belen (nativity).  It is so much fun in our piso even though we are crowded. It's funny too because Elder Roberts and Russel (the other set of missionaries) are in the living room on air mattresses because the 4 of us have to sleep in the same room and there are only 4 beds....so....ya, they got the short end of the stick.  We are working it out though because what happens is we go on splits all the time, so we aren't always together all four of us. Although, we do teach some lessons all together. 

 

The Christmas sprit really has hit us in our piso though. We even bought a tree and lights and stuff, and we have been having hot chocolate out the wazoo because it is so cold here.  But it's ok cause I have a big coat and a hat:) thanks mom for preparing me:)  Also, one thing I forgot to mention is while Elder Wiscombe and I were going to a menos activos (less active) house we passed by the belen and we got stopped because we had to wait for a line of camels to go past...real camels....with kids on them.  It was a kids ride all around the plaza!!  I wanna be a kid again just for that!  It was crazy!!!  Haha, hopefully I can get pictures today:)

 

Well, that was basically my week....it was all prepping for the new missionary and Christmas. Oh, we did go to Llerida again, but that is really just a routine thing.  I guess another thing is we have a choir concert next week with the members...funny thing though is that the 14 missionaries are accompanied by about 6 members, which is kind of sad, but hey, it still will be a good experience I think. 

 

I love you all and hope your week has been great!!

 

Love,

Elder Dixon

12/2/2013 "More Nicotine Gum and a Brazilian Thanksgiving"

December 2, 2013

 

Well, this week was a adventure!!! As you know, this past week I got a new companion, Elder Coombs, who I currently don't have any pictures of, but he is great.  He is from Pleasant Grove, and cool thing, he is studying at Utah State, mechanical engineering with an emphasis in the aeronautical field. Same as Zane!! and me, but not at Utah State... oh well.  

 

So, for some reason all of our investigators have problems smoking....I don't get why, but they do and its really lame. Oh well,  it makes for good memories...especially cause the best way to help them stop is with the nicotine gum, and when people see three missionaries buying it we get really weird looks and we have to explain why we are getting it.

 

Also this week I got to go to IKEA, in a mall called Puerto Venecia, which is easily the biggest and nicest mall I have ever been to, and from what I have heard from other missionaries it is the second biggest in the world or something.  For sure the biggest in Spain.  It even has an ice skating ring we are going to next week :) Also here in Zaragoza is a really cool tradition where they set up a life-sized model of the town of Bethlehem, and the nativity. Hopefully next week I will have pictures of that, cause they have been building it in the Plaza de Pilar for about 2 weeks now, so it should be done. Oh ya, and if you haven't yet, you should Google the Pilar in Zaragoza, because it is just about the prettiest thing in the world. 

 

Ok, so my dad had a bunch of questions for me, and I figured I could just answer them here, so.... The best kind of food here are the pastries, and the best is a Napolitana. They are like a croissant thing with chocolate filling and all flaky and messy and powdery sugary and absolutely amazing:) also, I really like the Palmera pastries too, which are a hard, flaky bread covered in chocolate. YUM:)

 

My companions are both 20 years old, both from Utah, both are amazing teachers and they came to the mission the same time, and actually were roommates in the MTC.  Our piso is really crowded with 5 people in it now, in fact, Elder Wiscombe is on the air mattress, and we had to get a new chair for the study room which is squishy with only two people in there, so....ya. It is a ton of fun though....and they are both really good cooks to, so that's a plus.

 

To get around we use the buses, but they are on strike a ton, so usually we just take Bus 11.....one leg after the other....in other words, we walk EVERYWHERE!!!!  It's ok though, usually, unless we are late, because then we have to run, in church shoes and a suit.  It's all good though:) 

 

Anyway, also this week we had Thanksgiving at a members house with our district, and it was very interesting. They are from Brazil, and so when they offered to host us, they also said they would make the rice and beans and some other stuff, because they thought that was part of what we usually eat.... we did make most of the food, such as the turkey and rolls and mashed potatoes, which they absolutely loved, but they also had some interesting traditions. Oh ya, and we made pumpkin Pie too:) yum:) it was pretty good.

 

On the subject of food, we went to another members house from Ecuador, and something really interesting is the fact that I  got to try Tripe.....fortunately I didn't know that's what it was til after I ate it....it was really weird, but if I had to I could eat it again, I guess.

 

Anyway, that really was my week in a nut shell. We have 4 fetchas right now for the month of December, the next one is for the 14th, and I am super excited, because it is a nice lady.  She told us once that she understood we were in a different country without our moms, and so she said she would be a substitute for a while. She even offered to iron our shirts if we needed her to.  She is absolutely amazing, and I really hope she gets baptized.

 

I love you all, and hope you all had a amazing week too!!!

 

 

Love, Elder Dixon

11/26/13 "..this week was another amazing week!!"

November 26, 2013

Well, this week was another amazing week!!  I love having amazing weeks all the time. This week though so much happened!!! I probably had better start with the biggest thing, and that is that I had another baptism!! Magally finally quit smoking after 39 years (she started at age 12) and she was baptized by Elder Wiscombe this past week. It was such an amazing experience. She is so nice, and she is really talented too. Please pray for her to stay strong, and to have things improve for her. She has had such a hard life, and I know that the gospel can improve it for her if she stays strong. 

 

The other big thing that happened this week was That elder Roberts and I went to Barcelona to get our DNI cards so that we can be legally here. So now I'm in no danger of being deported. Sorry mom, I'm here for the long haul:) We also celebrated an early Thanksgiving this week because of transfers, but it really was more of a practice because we get to do it again this week at a members house. We get to introduce American food to a south American family.  It was really funny because they don't quite get the concept of the food we eat. The mom asked us if we wanted her to cook the rice and beans.......ya..... so we may be having a interesting conglomeration of food:) but the best part is that we figured out how to make rolls:) the bread here in Spain just doesn't compare to a light, fluffy, fresh out of the oven potato roll. yum:) 

 

Ok, the last thing that happened this week is......Transfers!!!!!  And yes, it did affect me. I now have a new companion, Elder Coombs. We are in a Trio!!!  It's gonna be so crazy cause there really isn't any room in our piso, so we have been buying new stuff for him to be able to fit, such as a bed and a study chair and stuff like that. It's gonna be really crowded, but I'm excited.  It may be weird to be trained by two people, but we will see. We're going to go pick him up from the train station after we email actually, so I still haven't met him, but he was in elder Wiscombe's group at the MTC and in fact was one of his roommates there.  Pretty crazy.  So, that was my week.

 

I hope you are all doing well, and everything at home is good.  The holidays are almost here too...we have started to sing Christmas songs already.

 

 

Until next week,

 

Elder Dixon

 

 Enjoy these pictures that Elder Dixon sent

 

 

Backlog 11/11, 11/18

November 11, 2013

 

This week was absolutely amazing!!  I got to go to Lleida again for a specialized training, and it was so cool.   President Pace is an amazing man.  I got to go on an intercambio (exchange) with Elder Wiess this week too (he is one of our zone leaders) and he is absolutely amazing.  But, the best part is that this Friday we had four baptisms!!!  It was a really good week, and I felt the Spirit so much. I loved being able to help others come closer to Christ.  Here is the story of the family we baptized.  This is actually just a copy of what I sent to President Pace in my letter this week.

 

"Elders Buttcane and Wiscombe got a reference from some other missionaries a week before I came into the mission, and they started to teach the mom, in a park by their house.  They only taught her two times before I came in to the area, but one time she brought her two little girls, one who is 12, and the other who is 9. We had the opportunity to teach them in the park again, and then that Sunday the three of them came to church. Then we met with the mom again in the park, and we invited her to be baptized, but she said no very firmly.  The miracle came though, when the next time we met her whole family was with her, even her husband, who can't walk very well because he has a very deformed foot and it hurts him very bad. When we met them in the park, the first thing the girls said to us was that they wanted to be baptized, because they had learned about it in primary.  So we asked both the parents if that was all right, and they didn't really care about it, so we got out the calendar and started to plan.  About halfway through filling them out, one of the daughters off handedly asked her dad if he wanted a calendar too, and if he would be baptized with them, and he said yes! It was kinda a half hearted "sure", but we still got out the calendar for him and we explained it all to them, and they agreed to come to church the next Sunday as well as pray and read. We had a few more lessons with them, and one time we asked if we could meet in their house, but they said no because they have 6 cats, 2 dogs, and 5 birds and they didn't want us to be allergic and get mad at them and all this stuff. I guess they have had people complain before and they just didn't want to deal with it. Anyway, that Sunday we met them in the park and walked with them to church, which usually takes elder Wiscombe and I about 20 minutes. So, the fact that the dad wanted to walk all the way there was really another miracle because it hurts him to walk.   They all came and loved it.   

 

We continued having lessons with them, always in the park, but one time it was dark and kinda cold when we got there, and only the dad was there.  He said that the girls and his wife wouldn't leave the house, so if we wanted to he would take us there and we could share the message in the house.  So, we followed him and went into a really hairy environment. There were so many animals, and our suits were covered in hair as soon as we sat down, partly because as soon as we did we each had a dog on our lap and cats everywhere. But, we shared our message and right as we were about to leave, the mom said that she was impressed that the animals liked us and we were calm about it, and she simply asked us if she could be baptized with her family, but without a calendar. When she said that, it made all the hair worth it.

 

We kept teaching them, and there were a few hiccups along the way, but in the end we were able to baptize all four of them Friday. I had the opportunity to baptize the youngest daughter,Elder Wiscombe baptized the 12 year old, and Elder Russel baptized the mom (he had to do it twice because her dress floated, and she wasn't very happy with that, but she still did it, and afterwards she was laughing about it) for the dad, Elder Russel did the ordinance, but Elder Wiscombe helped get him into the water because of his foot and other problems he has. It was a really great experience.

 

      After we all were changed, they all four had huge smiles. I have never seen this family so happy, and the smiles were even bigger in church after they were confirmed. This gospel really does bless families, and this week I got to see it firsthand.

 

I know this church is true, and I know that everything we as missionaries do is for the Lord, and to help the people here become more happy. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

 

This week was truly amazing. keep strong, and help the missionaries out whenever you see them.   They really do need the help of the members.

 

 I Love you all,

Elder Dixon

 

November 18, 2013

 

Wow, this week was crazy!!!  It was so good though. On Tuesday two Joven ( what they call the youth here) went on their missions....I guess they really aren't joven anymore...neither am I.  It's weird to be going to elders quorum, it's just a bunch of old guys.  I like the Priests better.  The youth in our ward are hilarious though. They are so much fun to be around.  Anyway, it was another reminder for me that I'm actually in Spain.  It still is such a weird thought.  

 

Anyway, this Saturday we will be having a baptism.   Magally finally has stopped smoking. (That's why she wasn't baptized last week) she started when she was 12, and so that she has gone almost 9 days without a cigarette is absolutely amazing. Also, we have a baptism planned for the 30th, and for the 14th of December!!!  We have been really blessed with people who want to know about the gospel.  The 14th is actually another family, the mom and two sons.  There is a daughter who wants to learn more, but we haven't met her yet so she doesn't have a fetcha.   

 

Another crazy thing about this week was the rain!! It's been a solid 3 days!!!  And then the wind is crazy, and when we cross the bridge the rain is almost sideways, and we have to run across some parts cause there are huge puddles and if a car comes we would be drenched....well, we already were for most of the time anyway, but....ya.....it's crazy how wet everything is... all the gutters are overflowing, but I absolutely love it, for some strange reason it's really cool.  Also, I have an amazing companion. I really admire him, and one thing that I like the most is how positive he always is.   Like I said, the rain was pouring, and we had to walk across the bridge four times on Saturday, and we weren't able to take the bus, and it was freezing cold, but through it all he was laughing and smiling.  At one point he even took off his hood and turned to me and said, essentially, that we should be happy about our trials because the Lord has blessed us so much with people to teach and the 5 fetchas we have right now.  It was really a spiritual moment and made me realize how blessed I am to be on a mission, and that I get to see miracles literally every day.

 

I know that this mission is the best thing for me in my life right now, and I know that this gospel is true.

 

I love you all

 

Elder Dixon

"..this week has been a roller coaster!!"

Well, this week has been a roller coaster!! Crazy stuff has been happening, for example, the lady I first committed to baptism has now told us to wait on the date, but then not to, and so I'm not sure what is going on really. I have a lesson with her tonight, but idk. However, this Friday we do have a family that is going to be baptized at 5 pm!! I'm so excited!!!  They are so great!  Also, we were able to get another commitment to baptism, this one for the 30th of November!! It's insane!!!  Also this week two people from the ward are leaving on their missions.

 

I'm sorry, I really don't have very much time to write more, but I want to ask you to offer to go on visits with the missionaries. They really need your help!! Member visits are the most important kind, and really help out a ton.

 

I want to let you know I have a testimony of this gospel, and I really enjoy the people and culture of Spain.

 

Love you all,

 

Elder Dixon

"...this week was sooooooooo crazy!!"

Dear Friends and Family,

Wow, this week was sooooooooo crazy!! So many miracles have happened it's insane!! The best thing though is that on November 9th, 2013, if everything goes well, Elder Wiscombe and I will be baptizing Magally, and also, a father and his two daughters!! The two girls are still in primary.  Their mom, also may be getting baptized but she is really hesitant.  We were meeting the family in the park to teach them,  and the very first thing the two girls said was they wanted to get baptized!!  It was really shocking, but we were so blessed!!  And as we were talking with them, eventually the dad joined in and by the end he wanted to be baptized as well.  They have now been to church three times, and it's so cool!!  The work is absolutely amazing and I love their family.  

Also this week we got to go to Lleida (pronounced yeda) for interviews with the president.  Lleida is the stake we are in and is the head of the zone.  I found out our zone is huge!!  It goes from the bottom of the mission clear up to the top (Andorra included) it's crazy!!  It was cool though. 

This week we get to go again for zone infoce (I'm not entirely sure what that is yet, but I will find out soon I guess.

The days go so fast here, and every night I go to sleep so tired, but the work is awesome, and my companion is absolutely amazing too.  This mission is absolutely amazing. I love you all, and I hope you all are doing well. 

The Lord truly blesses us. 

Love,

Elder Dixon

"We have been finding a lot of people to teach, and the blessing is all of them are from references"

Hello from Zaragoza Spain!!

 

This week has been absolutely crazy, hectic, wonderful, and miracle filled!!

 

To start off, Monday was packing day to leave the MTC, and say goodbye to everybody, and generally be really nervous for whatever came next.

 

So, Tuesday morning we woke up and got to the train station, and then we had an adventure trying to fit all our luggage (think airplane, with no overhead bins or room under the seats, nothing checked, and about 20 missionaries with 3 suitcases each....ya….). Then it was a two and a half hour train ride to Barcelona, going a constant 187.5 miles per hour!

 

Then we got to Barcelona, had interviews with the President and got assigned temporary companions to go stay with at their pisos (apartments) in the heart of Barcelona. Then we got to go contacting:) it was kind of a blur after that.  All I really can remember is I had a blast!!   And I got to sleep on a hard wood floor too :)  it was quite the experience.

 

Wednesday we woke up and went to an old fort where we could see all of Barcelona.  It was really cool....oh oops...I forgot I'm not supposed to say cool, or awesome as a missionary anymore.... anyway, it was super amazing and I loved it.

 

Then, I got to find out my companion and first area!!  Whoo!!  Elder Wiscombe is awesome!!  He has been out for about a year, and he is from Morgan Utah. (We call Utah "la fabrica" or, the factory, because so many missionaries are from there) We live in a piso with Elder Russel from Spanish Fork, and he is training Elder Roberts, who was my old companion in the MTC, so it's been a blast!!

 

Zaragoza is so pretty, and the people here are awesome.  Quick note - the missionaries NEED the members help. Having members at lessons is so important, and it is kind of hard to get people to come with us.  Please, ask the missionaries if you can go with them sometime.

 

Anyway, the rest of this week has been just full of meetings with members, our district, etc. It's been crazy, and we have had so many miracles. The coolest one though, is defiantly the fact that my first real day out in the field we had a lesson with a lady from Columbia.  I kind of told about her before.  I got to extend the invitation to be baptized, and she accepted!! Since then we have had two lessons with her, and she came to church yesterday too!!   It's so cool!!   

 

We have been finding a lot of people to teach, and the blessing is all of them are from references.  This week has truly been a blessing. 

I hope you all have an awesome week!!

 

Love,

 

Elder Dixon

"..Made it safe and sound to Barcelona.."

I made it safe and sound to Barcelona on Monday!!!   Although, that night I did sleep on a hardwood floor...that was fun.  Also, I got to go contacting and had a really fast lesson with a less active member.  It was soooo cool!!  Then yesterday we got to go to a fortress in Barcelona up on a hill, and on one side I could see all of Barcelona and on the other I could see the Mediterranean. It was so beautiful!! I will send some pictures next Monday (which is my new preparation day).

After that we had a meeting where I found out where my first area is and who my new companero is as well!!!

So...drumroll please.........I get to serve in Zaragoza (dead center of my mission) with Elder Wiscome!!  It's so cool!

Yesterday I got to go for another 2 hour train ride, and then when we got to our piso (apartment) it was time for us to be in our houses. (Oh, quick note, the missionary schedule here in Spain is an hour later because of the culture, so I get to wake up at 7:30 and go to bed at 11:30 instead of 6:30 to 10:30.  Yay :)

Anyway, I only have time to tell you that today I have taught four people, and in our second lesson I committed Magally to baptism on November 9!!!   And, no, I can't pronounce her name cause it's not Spanish pronunciation.  Anyway, it was so cool because that was the second visit she has ever had with the missionaries.    Also, she brought a friend who is really interested too!!! Jackpot!   Well, I have to go now, I'll tell you more about my adventures on Monday. 

Love you all!!

Elder Dixon

"My time here at the MTC has been super fun, but I am so ready to get out into the field."

Well, this week was really fun, but rather uneventful, except for conference, which was absolutely amazing!!!  I loved it so much!!  Especially the talk in priesthood from President Eyring.  I would really encourage everyone to go watch them all again and again, because there was so much in there!!  Also, when Elder Ballard talked about visiting the missionaries in Europe, I was one of those!! Wahoo!!!

 

Other than that, this week was all pretty much the same as the last ones, just more classes and language and study, but the Spirit is so strong.  One experience from the park last week though.  I was on a split with Elder Roberts (my first companion) and we met a guy who said he was Catholic, but then started explaining that God was in the trees and grass, but really wasn't there at all....it was way confusing, but it was a good conversation, during which I was offered a sandwich and wine. (I didn't know what it was at first so I just said no.. good thing I did!)

 

Anyway, he then started telling us about how he was a mercenary in Brazil and got hit by a bomb, at which point he opened his shirt and started showing us his crazy scars, which were huge!!  So, that was the park experience.

 

Other than that not much has happened.  Today is the last p-day in the CCM though, which is scary.   Tuesday at six I get on a bullet train for 2 hours and I get to go to Barcelona!!! Ahhhhh!!!!

 

Today was also the last time I get to go to the temple for 23 months.  It's kinda sad, and I spent a ton of time in the Celestial room, just feeling the Spirit and thinking of my mission.   My time here at the MTC has been super fun, but I am so ready to get out into the field.  I don't know yet where I will be for my first area, but please pray for me to have a good trainer and an awesome experience for the first few days out in the field.  Next time you hear from me I will officially be in the Barcelona Spain mission!!

 

I love each one of you a lot, and I hope you all are keeping your testimonies strong.

 

Love,

Elder Dixon

Amulek District

Dear Friends and Family,

It's been a month!! Ahhhhh!!! I really can't believe I have been wearing a name tag and white shirt for that long!!  It's insane!!  Well, this past week a bunch happened, and wouldn't you know it but the biggest thing happened last p-day...after I sent the last email... oh well.  I just get to tell you now instead. 

So, we were in our fireside meeting we have every Thursday night and the MTC president had some business before we began, and he just casually let us know that the district leaderships were being reorganized, and that the leader of the Amulek District would be….Elder Dixon.... I didn't even know beforehand, but we were informed that we didn't need to be set apart ever for any calling during our mission because we already are set apart as missionaries, so everything beyond that becomes an assignment. The president also dropped another bomb on us when he  said we may be assigned to be branch presidents in about 4 weeks.  Ya, I'm kinda nervous to go out into the field, but I am so excited!!! 

Another exciting thing I found out on p-day was that ties here in Spain are really cheap.....I got three really nice ties (skinny ties, actually) for 50 cents apiece, which is about 80 cents in US dollars.  Crazy right?  But they are really cool. 

Saturday was another day in the park, and this time I was able to place one copy of the Book of Mormon, which was way cool.  However, the coolest thing was that I made the goal to not speak English at all Saturday, and I learned so much Spanish!!  It was insane!  Then, to top it off, Sunday was fast Sunday and fasting for the don de language (gift of tongues) was amazing!!! 

Just to exemplify exactly what fasting did for me, during one of my practice investigator lessons, the questions was posed to us "Why doesn't God physically come and help us?"  My companion and I were then able to answer her question with the perfect analogy, all in Spanish.  We compared the world to a company, with Heavenly Father being represented as the boss.  Just like the boss hires managers to tell the employees what to do, so God calls prophets who tell us what to do.   In a company of any considerable size, the boss doesn't usually communicate directly with the employees, but rather through the managers, because the bosses job is different.   

During the lesson, once we had explained this, she explained that companies usually run really smoothly, but the world doesn't.  So, we explained that if one of the employees doesn't listen to the manager, that part of the company usually doesn't work, just how parts of the world don't really  "work" when we don't listen to the prophets.  It was such an amazing Spirit in the room, and it was so cool that we were able to say all of this in Spanish.

This gospel is really amazing, and it is very important for all of us to listen to the prophets, which we have the opportunity to this weekend.  I am so excited to watch conference!  I actually will be able to watch two of the sessions live, because the timing works out perfectly.  I would encourage you to watch it as well, and really listen to what is being told you.

I love you all and hope you all can feel the Spirit every second of your day.

Elder Dixon

Pictures from Last week

Hey,
 Here is a picture of us singing the first week. my companion Elder Roberts is to my left *the tan guy* Elder Bennet is on the other side. Elder Love isn't in this picture, he wasn't here yet.

Elder Dixon proselyting in the park.
He is a fine missionary.
President Sitterud

This weeks edition

Holy cow this week was amazing!!

 

There was so much that happened, but I'm only going to have time to tell you 3 stories about this week.

 

The first happened this last Friday.  Every Friday we have a service project, and this week it was cleaning the temple grounds.  Well, to get down to the basement we have to go down the elevator from the 5th floor, and we like to cram elders into the elevator so we don't have to take as many trips.

 

Well, I was one of the last ones in, and as I got in, I felt something fall out of my shirt, and I looked down and saw the magnetic back of my name tag lying on the floor.... and I realized immediately that my name tag wasn't attached to my shirt anymore.

 

I looked down to see where it went and I saw it fall off of my shirt down, down, down, and straight down the gap in the elevator door….you know… the gap that is really the elevator shaft....the one that you can't get anything out of.....ya....actually I did get it back though… yesterday.  But it's all dented from the 6 story flight.  It's actually kinda cool cause my name tag now has battle scars :)  That's the first story.
 

My second story is a tad longer, and a lot more spiritual.

 

As you know I get to go to Retiro Park every Saturday and get references.  (The same park my dad has been to!)  Well, I have forgotten to tell you a little story that happened to me the first week I went. 

 

My companion and I found an old lady sitting on a bench reading the Bible and as we went up to her and started talking, she pulled out a church pamphlet and started asking questions.  (Now keep in mind this is after only 3 days of Spanish) Well, from what we could understand, she goes to the park every week and when the missionaries come up to her she tries to ask them questions, but obviously, since all the missionaries are still at the MTC and don't know Spanish, we can't answer them, which is super frustrating.  She also told us we don't speak Spanish very well, and we needed to come back when we new Spanish better. 

 

So, that's what we did.  The second week, after 9 days of Spanish, we went back and tried again, but again she told us to learn Spanish better.  Well, after every time of going to the park, we have a testimony meeting, and I told this story.  Afterward, Elder Sullivan, the first councilor in the MTC Presidency, said that the next week I could meet with one of the missionaries in the area and visit her again.  

 

So I had the opportunity to be able to this Saturday!  It was so cool because the elder just talked to her for a while, and I couldn't understand it at all -  but the Spirit was so strong.  It was way cool -  but that wasn't the coolest part. 

 

While Elder Pentell (the missionary I was with) and I were on our way to where the lady was, we got stopped by a man who spoke English.  He wanted to know more about why we were everywhere in the world, because apparently he is a world traveler, and has seen missionaries everywhere.  In fact, he was talking about the temple in Salt Lake.   He's been there apparently, and missionaries took him around Temple Square.  So when we mentioned there was a temple in Madrid, he got way excited, and said he would love to come visit, and asked if I could get out of my training for a bit to help show him around.  I don't know if it will happen or not, but if it does, it would be so cool!!!  Elder Pentell said he would contact me and tell me when - if it does, so hopefully next time I e-mail it will have happened.  

 

Here is my third, and final story, and it possibly is the coolest. 

 

So, we had a little fireside Sunday, and one of the local stake presidents, President Gomez, came to speak to us.  He was talking about his mission that was 24 years ago in Madrid.  Then he started talking about how he switched mission presidents in the middle of his mission.  I figured out, hey - he might know my dad - because dad was on his mission in the same place, same time!!

 

Guess what?!   The next picture he pulled up was one of his district - and right in the center of it was my dad!!  It was so  cool!  I talked to him afterward  and he said he remembered an Elder Dixon from his mission!!! It was insane!!!

 

Other than that, not much happened this week.

 

We got to tour the Real Madrid Stadium, which was cool, and my companion and I are getting along really well.  

 

The Spirit is so strong here.  I love this gospel and I love teaching people about it.  The church is true, and I know that without a shadow of a doubt.

 

I love you all,

Elder Dixon

Real Madrid Stadium

He Made His Momma Cry

I just found this link.... Made his momma cry....... like a baby!! 

http://missionarycoupleinmadridspain.blogspot.com/

 

What a treat!

 

Laura Dixon

Or here is the direct youtube link.

http://youtu.be/NjtedqZUsmQ