Sunday, November 23, 2014

We were forced to duck into a doorway

November 23, 2015 

Today is my comps 21st birthday, so we had a ton of fun.  Haha, one of the funny parts about being here in Spain, is that coke is cheaper than beer, which is cheaper than water, and so it being the 21st birthday, of course my comp bought some of the alcohol free stuff, just to say he did:) 0.0 percent alcohol, just the taste. (nasty) so, he and Elder Jacobson went to the office, and me and Elder Olaso stayed and decorated the piso, and made a cake and everything, and so when they got back it was a huge surprise. We had a ton of fun. (Thanks mom for sending all the stuff.  Turned out better late:)
 
Other than that, this week was really good, we had a lot of fun and had a bunch of little blessings. We've been working with the menos activos a lot, and it's really been great because they have a lot of family. For example, the mother of one of the JAS (young single adults) isn't a member, and so last week we had a really great visit with her. She is trying to find a religion, and is studying with the Testigos (Jehovah Witnesses), and so in our visit she was asking us and her daughter about the questions she has, and because her daughter was there, she was able to connect more with her mom, and pull from personal experience to help her understand. At the end, we were talking, and Elder Frederich pointed out how interesting it was, that she was looking for a religion, and yet she hadn't even tried to read the Book of Mormon or anything and find out about the church her daughter is a part of.  It was a really powerful lesson, and we're going back this Wednesday to see how it goes.
 
Another neat little blessing happened last night. It was raining buckets, and since we didn't have a visit we were walking the streets doing a pass by plan. Well, as we were walking down the street, the rain picked up, and was going through our umbrellas, and so we were forced to duck into a doorway, and since we were stuck, we figured why not? lets knock the building. So we went in, started going up to the top floor, and my companion made the comment that we had been forced by divine power to stop at this building, and so we should expect a miracle. Well, we were knocking the doors, and about half way through, the man who answered was really excited, and told us about 6 months ago he had been contacted on the streets and given his phone number to the elders, but they had never called. He didn't have time right then, but he gave us his number and told us to come back next Saturday when he doesn't have work, and we could talk. It was a neat experience.
 
The mission is a ton of fun.  It's crazy, and difficult, but overall, it's a ton of fun.
 
Thank for all your support,
Love you,
Elder Dixon

Saturday, November 22, 2014

...wait, What?

November 22, 2014

This week was amazing!!!!  Ok, I guess I better start off with Wednesday, when we had a zone conference, where we talked about a bunch of stuff, like faith, and then also about how we needed to shine our shoes and get our hair cut before that Saturday, because every missionary from our mission would be going to a very special conference at 10:30 am Saturday morning, where Elder Cook, of the Quorum of the 12, would be coming to speak to us......wait, What? So ya:) this week was really good. He came for a stake conference, and wanted to see the missionaries. So, it ended up being a question answer thing, and his wife also talked a lot about music and stuff, and overall, I learned a ton about faith, and I wanna share just a few things.
 
Elder Cook mentioned, that we don't know how much power faith has, it was by faith mountains were moved. So, we need more faith! But what happens if we don't? He then explained that "the desire to have faith is precious" and that nobody should feel less worthy or spiritual or anything, for only having the desire, instead of the faith itself. I wish I could describe better how he said it, because it was so powerful, especially when he described it as being something precious, and of value, rather than ¨less¨.  He then mentioned, that when we have more faith, we see more success.  It was a really neat meeting, and I got to see a ton of friends, like Elder LeSueur, and Elder and Sister Clark. It was really great. 
Well, we kinda got back from our hike late, so I don't have much time. I hope you all have a good week!
 
Love,
Elder Dixon

Monday, November 17, 2014

...the next thing I knew I was asking him if he believed in God...

November 17, 2014

This week was really great. We got a lot done, and had a bunch of fun, and we are getting to know the members a lot better, and so this week has been a little easier. One neat thing, is that we have found a neat way of teaching the restoration, and that is by going through the little points in the 30 to 40 minute lesson in preach my gospel, and so it is helping us be able to teach more effectively. I've never taught like this before in my mission, and I really want to learn it better, and do the same for all the lessons.  I've learned a ton just studying as a companionship the basic doctrines, and I realized that I skip a lot of the plain and precious truths preach my gospel has in it. It's really been a great week of study. My companion is amazing.   It's been really great to learn and work with him.
 
Some other stuff this week was a bunch of ward activities, just as a single adults activity where there were six missionaries, and we all had a little part to testify about, but it all got confused somehow...and then ended really awkwardly with a weird kind of dance thing....the food was good though, so I'm not complaining!  We also went to another activity that was supposed to be a family talent type thing, that we were asked to go to, but it turned into just a dance...only there wasn't an age limit. So we left early....after grabbing food, of course:) and then Sunday was the primary program, which was really fun to see.   The songs are weird in Spanish though...I couldn't sing along.  Oh well:)
 
Oh, I forgot to write about a little blessing we had.  We were in a pueblo that is part of our area, and as we were walking, my companion had to go to the bathroom, so we stopped at a bar so he could go. Well, we walked in and nobody was there, except for the bartender at a table, who asked us what we needed and then went back to reading.  Well, I was just kinda standing there all awkwardly, when the bartender asked me from what company we were from, in broken Spanish, and the next thing I knew I was asking him if he believed in God, and sitting down at the table talking with him. He's from China, and has been here for ten years, and he really doesn't know all that much about religion, but he said he would love to read the Book of Mormon, but he can't because he can't read Spanish very well.  So when we told him we had one in Chinese, he was super excited.  We set up a visit for us to go back, and when we went back he was really excited to be able to read it and understand.   He's a great guy, and so now we'll just see what happens.  It was a pretty neat little experience though.  And I got to give out a Book of Mormon in Chinese, so that's pretty great too.
 
Well, that was basically my week.   It was a blast.
Thanks for all you do!
Love,
Elder Dixon

Monday, November 10, 2014

...just a lot of me being lost out of my mind...

November 10, 2014

So, this week was kinda  just a lot of me being lost out of my mind....it's so weird being in a big city again, and my area is actually 1 city, Cornella, and 3 little towns, San Boi, Gava, and Vildecans, and there are a bunch of mini towns in between. Probably the weirdest was finding out that one of the "little" towns (San Boi) has about 80,000 people. On a GOOD day, the ISLAND of Menorca had about 45,000... so ya...that's a lot of people...and church was 125....yikes...names are gonna be rough for a bit.  It's really neat though, because there are people to talk to here…. like, actual people walking in the streets that I have never met before. So we are having a blast!!! It's a bit of an adjustment, but hey, it's the mission.
The only other thing that happened was we had a zone activity, but that was about it :) just work work work!! So, here's a neat little quote from the gospel principles manual.
“When a man has the manifestation from the Holy Ghost, it leaves an indelible impression on his soul, one that is not easily erased. It is Spirit speaking to spirit, and it comes with convincing force. A manifestation of an angel, or even of the Son of God himself, would impress the eye and mind, and eventually become dimmed, but the impressions of the Holy Ghost sinks deeper into the soul and are more difficult to erase”  (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66],2:151).
President Smith also said, “Through the Holy Ghost the truth is woven into the very fibre and sinews of the body so that it cannot be forgotten”(Doctrines of  Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56],1:48).
We taught a lesson on the Spirit, and we used this. It was so powerful, and a lot of fun. The Spirit is so important, especially in the mission.
Well, that was basically my week.  Just a lot of map work and asking where I am:)
Love you all!! 
Elder Dixon

Monday, November 3, 2014

He gave us a little Mexican treat to try....

November 3, 2014

This week was pretty crazy, trying to figure out where we are and what we are doing. Not gonna lie, it's been a bit stressful, but it's starting to calm down a bit. We had stake conference, and that helped us learn some of the members, so we're learning the members and the area little by little, rather than all at once and being overwhelmed. It was pretty crazy to see so many members in one spot though. There were so many! It was interesting too, because the stake choir has been practicing for the past month to sing for it, and they expected us as missionaries to be a part...so really, I just tried to follow the guy next to me because we sang some weird arrangements. But it worked out. Oh, and it was in the Barcelona stake center, which is the building I went to when I was serving in Barcelona, so I got so see a few of the members from there, so that was pretty fun too.
But to learn all the people in our ward is going to be interesting, until we have church next week with just our ward.  The ward list we have is huge too, so it´ll be different for us both trying to figure out what do with so many members. It's pretty exciting though.
Cornella is a very different place, even though it is right next to my old area in Barce.  And actually, my area is Cornella and a couple other small towns too, so we do a bit of traveling. One thing that was pretty neat though, is that during our first visit here, it was with a man from Mexico, and he gave us a little Mexican treat to try. Turns out, they were crickets!! Or grasshoppers - we´re not sure which. They weren't bad though, they tasted and had a texture kinda like bacon bits. So that was fun. Other than that, we have been talking to a ton of people and so we have been having pretty full days. It's been great, and I love working with Elder Frederich. He has been in Huesca before this, which is a group - the smallest organization of the church- and a small city, so kinda like Menorca, only without tourists, and it's a very Spanish city.  He's super humble, and really knows why he is here, and since he came from Huesca, we both understand what it's like working in a small area without very many people, and so it makes working here so much easier. It really is a blessing.
Well, to end, I want to let you know that I believe in Christ. He is my Savior, and He died and atoned for me, and He rose from the grave so that I may as well. I know that He loves me, and that thanks to Him, God's plan works for me, and for everybody. I know that we all have the chance to be saved, because of Him, simply by following Him and doing what He has asked of us. I love my savior, Jesus Christ, and it's as simple as that.
I love you all, and thank you for everything.
Elder Dixon