I was only in that area with that companion for 3 weeks!

July 27, 2015

Ok, so this week was the craziest of my mission life...probably of my whole life to be honest. It all started on Monday, when after playing sports with the zone, elder Oliver realized he couldn't tap his right foot like normal....in fact, he couldn't move his ankle at all...so when he walked his foot just kinda flopped around all funny.... It didn't hurt him, but you know, it warranted a trip to the hospital.  So, since they had a real important visit we did splits and I went to
the hospital with him. We waited there for a about an hour and a half, and then in walked the nurse and she literally just touched his foot and said it was just a stressed tendon and he shouldn't walk for a couple of days...so we figured we'd probably have to do splits again during the week....but we couldn't have imagined we would do them as
much as we did. The problem was that I was supposed to do companionship exchanges with my leaders on Tuesday, after I finished teaching district meeting. But the other elders wouldn't be able to come to district meeting at all.

 

Well....literally as we were about to leave to go to the church for the meeting, we got a phone call, from the mission president. So, I answered it, and after talking to me for a second, he asked to speak to my companion.  So, they start speaking, and my companion gets a really shocked look on his face....says "yes president" and then hands the phone to me.....uh oh. So he explained my companion needs to be emergency transferred to the mission office because the senior couple is going home...and that they are just gonna close down our area and let Elder Brog and Oliver take care of it...and that I needed to go Gandia, which is still my district.

Needless to say, I didn't do the exchanges with the zone leaders...that'll happen this next week:)So that's where I'm at right now, in Gandia with Elder Stratton as my companion. So the whole week was us teaching the other elders about our area, because we didn't leave until Sunday night. It's been pretty interesting, just doing splits the whole time. I've been with my companion for maybe 5 visits.  Crazy stuff! I was only in that area with that companion for 3 weeks!  That's so short! But, the Lord knows what he's doing. I sure I'll figure out why in a few days. Just trust In Him and everything goes a lot better:)

Well, I hope you all have a good week too! Go have an adventure!

Love,

Elder Dixon

Even the Africans say it’s too hot for them!

July 20, 2015

This week was good, but rather plain. We did have a lot of people stop us, instead of us stopping them, so that was fun, and we found a lot of people to teach too. Also, the other elders had a baptism, so that was neat, and we were able to get a lot of stuff done. Lots of visits fell through too, so we were in the streets a lot, and had a lot of fun conversations, like with a Russian couple who want to know more, but we don’t know how to teach them. We have a visit with them next week...good thing we have a copy of the Book of Mormon in Russian!!! 

 

I also got to go to Gandia this week (a little town to the south of Valencia) and work there with Elder Carter (he was with me in Pamplona) so that was a blast, even though it was way hot. The weather here is so hot and humid. Even the Africans say it’s too hot for them! (We teach a lot of people from Nigeria and Ghana...I’m learning their tribal languages. Crazy stuff) 

 

Well...other than that, all is well, and I’m out of time!!

 

Love,

 

Elder Dixon

I was in a slump...

July 13, 2015

Well....this week as an adventure!  It's been really crazy, and I'm still not unpacked all the way just because we haven't really even had time to breath between all the visits and stuff we have to do. I’m still super lost, and don't know my area very well, but it's a lot of fun. We've met a ton of people this week and have had a lot of lessons, the members here are great too, because they help us out a ton too. I'm really glad to be here in Valencia.  To tell the truth, I was mad last week that I was transferred. Especially since the ayudantes told me I would stay in Pamplona for the rest of my mission, so when I got the call I was shocked.

But, once again the Lord has taught me to trust in Him. I don't know if you have ever seen the Mormon message "the will of God". If you haven't, it's worth watching. Well, in it, it compares God to a gardener, and us to a plant that was severely pruned. Sometimes we may ask, why? But the Lord is the gardener, and He knows what He wants us to be. Only, sometimes he doesn't tell us why until a lot later. For me though,  the "why" was made evident immediately. I have found during the last week here that I was in a slump, not really progressing. I was working a lot, yes, and the area and investigators were progressing, but I wasn't. However, within 6 days of working with elder Pemberton, I have already been taught and uplifted to a whole new level. For only having two transfers, he is one of the most mature, and amazing missionaries I have ever met, and is an incredible leader for me, even as a junior companion. It truly is incredible, and I feel like this transfer is going to be amazing for both of us. His Spanish is impressive, and his desire to be better and improve is inspiring. He really makes me want to be better too. I'm having a lot of fun here in Valencia and the work is amazing!!

I hope you all have a good week too!
Love,
Elder Dixon

Revelation changes stuff up….

July 7, 2015

So...to start off, I have good news!! Last week, I was talking with my leaders about the upcoming San Fermin festival, and trying to figure out if it would be best for us to leave or not, and the assistants told me that I should plan on just staying in Pamplona until the end of my mission!! Whoooo!!! Super exciting! Well...here's the thing....revelation changes stuff up…. and I'm on a train right now going to my new area in Valencia. What? I was really shocked.....but, I guess the Lord has other plans for me! So here’s a rundown of my last week in Pamplona. 

 

First off, we've been having so many visits, I and my companion were barely together this week. We did splits all the time! It made it real confusing, but it was a ton of fun! On top of that too, we had a trip to Bilbao to meet the new mission president, so that was a lot of fun. I won't get to know him all that well, but it's really exciting too. It was a great trip, and on the way back I did a companionship interchange with the zone leaders for a day too. I laughed and learned a lot. 

 

Then, the crazy stuff all started happening as soon as I found out I was leaving. I've been in a different house every possible hour of the past two days saying goodbye to everybody, and they all kept stuffing me full of food! Apparently since I didn't gain weight during the six months I've been here, they wanted to make me gain it all in two days……ugggg.....and they've told me Valencia gives more food than anywhere! Haha, and the other elders wonder how I have so much money at the end of the month:) 

 

Well....I really don't know what else to write....I loved my time in Pamplona, and the truth is I didn't want to leave, but I figure that since I'm going to try and work there I'll see them all soon enough. I'm kinda bummed I missed the San Fermins though...so I'll have to go back another year.

 

So that was the week! Or at least the important parts. I hope you all have a good week too!!

 

Love, Elder Dixon