50 days on the Island!

June 30, 2014

Dear friends and family,

 

So, this week was amazing...just saying.. we saw so many miracles...here's a neat little story that happened to us.

 

On Saturday night during daily planning, we had 10 member presents and 2 new investigators for the week, and as we were planning we decided that we were close enough we could get the pautas (the standards of excellence for our mission are that we have 12 lessons with a member present, 6 investigators come to church, 3 investigators have baptismal dates, we find 6 new people to teach, and that we have 1 baptism, every week), anyway, we set our daily goals for 3 member present lessons, and 4 new investigators....all in one day. And guess what?  We had 7 investigators in church, and during church we found 2 new investigators and taught a member present lesson. But then, the work just died. We had a bunch of pass by plans made up, and for 4 hours we were running around Maó trying to get another member present and find 2 new investigators.  Well, at about 8 we went to a park, and there we found some of the members with their kids, and one of their cousins who has been to an activity before that we taught. So we were talking to them and to the cousin, and we sent a appointment with her for this Thursday, and so we found our new investigator!!   By that time it was 8:30, and we had to turn in our numbers by 9.  We were on our way to a different lesson, trying to think of which members we could bring, and as we were thinking we passed by the house of a recent convert, and decided, why not?  So we went up, knocked on her door and asked if she could help, and she said yes!!!  So we went, had a great visit, and ended the week with pautas at 9:01.  And the best part?  This is my first week working with Elder Jonson.  It was such a great feeling, and I know that it is all thanks to the Lord for guiding us. The pautas aren't there just to be a number, but to make us work harder in the work of salvation.

 

The work here is going great.  Since we combined our areas we have had so much to do! For example...this morning we had a visit at 10 with a lady named Maria, and a member came with us to that, then we got a call from another member to see if we could go give a blessing to her grandfather in the hospital.  There is  so much work here that we are busy on preparation day! Even though they were kind of emergency situations, it's still amazing to see.

 

Also, working with Elder Jonson is a blast! He is a really great elder and he knows how to teach really well. I'm learning so much from him, and we are seeing miracles all over the place!!! It's really different here without the other elders, and our piso feels really big now, but overall its super great.   Ok, our area feels really big too...seeing as it's a whole island...:)

 

Love you all!!  Have a great week!

 

Elder Dixon

Day 44...truly exiled to the island

June 24, 2014

 

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok...got that out of the way...and so...before I tell you why in put that here's a little story:)

 

This week one of the miracles we saw was through a branch activity. We have been planning to do a Comidas del Mundo activity for a while since everyone in the branch is from a different country, and so we finally pulled it off and got it all organized, and spent some time decorating the church...we got everything ready, cleaned and perfect, and were done about 15 minutes before 6, when it was supposed to start. Well, at about 6:15 we decided to try calling some of the members to see if they were coming....but nobody answered......So we sat and waited. Finally, at about 7, Hermano Miguel showed up with two of the primary kids.  Well, when he saw nobody was there, he immediately started calling people, and by 8 there were about 25 people there (more than we have in church sometimes) and the tables were filled with food, and it was amazing!!!   We got to mingle, and I met a few new people, and it was amazing, all because one family helped us out and got people moving.  The members really have a power they don't understand, and that is why we have to work closely with them.

 

As it turned out, the activity was really great, and as a result, Sunday we had 35 people in church, more than we have had in the past 6 weeks, maybe more. The members are really great.

 

 

So.....what happened after that activity? Well, we cleaned up, went home, and anxiously awaited the transfer calls....well, yup...things changed....I'm still on the island, but I HAVE A NEW COMPANION!!   Elder Jonson, from Lehi, plays soccer like a beast, in his fifth month in the mission, is amazing.  Another crazy thing? Well..our piso is HUGE! But...not as big as our area, which, wouldn't you know it, is now a whole island.  Yup. Two missionaries, one island. MIRACLES HERE WE COME! I'm super excited, and today we start the work!!

 

Well, I love you all, but I have to go.  Have a great week!! And read 2 nephi10:20-21. it's pretty great:) love you!!!

 

Ricky

Day 34 on the island

June 16, 2014

This week was pretty good...it wasn't all that exciting, although I did get a cake Wednesday, so that was good.   Also this week we saw a miracle happen in that we had one of the best activities ever!  One of the recent converts, Manuel, has recently been called to be in charge of the activities, and so he put together a karaoke night, and we had a bunch of people there, including some menos activos who haven't stepped foot in the church building for a very long time.  It was amazing, and the Clarks made treats, and it just turned out really well. Recent converts are amazing.

 

Also, the weather here is crazy!! For example, this morning, it was clear, and during the time of about 2 minutes, we got hit by a wall of rain.  Literally, it was clear, two drops, and then a tidal wave.  Then, less than ten minutes later, clear again, and now it is sunny and cool.  For the past week though it has been super humid, and since we are in long pants all day, it's been super hot.  Crazy.

 

Keep strong!!

Love ya,

Elder Dixon.

It's super weird...I've been in a car more times in the past 4 weeks than in the past 9 months!

June 9, 2014

This week was super great. The work kind of exploded a little here in Menorca, which is great!! This week we saw a ton of miracles, and were really blessed. The neatest one is that we got 8 references from Elder Grau, who is in Mallorca. The references are actually his family members, and the greatest part is that we have started to teach some of them and they have a ton more family members here on the island too!!! It's amazing! Also, having the Clarks here (the senior couple who used to be in the office - Elder Clark speaks French, so he is the elder who helped Elder West and I teach Jonas in Barcelona) is a huge blessing as well, and they have been so great to help us get around to the different pueblos and visit the people here.  It's super weird...I've been in a car more times in the past 4 weeks than in the past 9 months!

 

Also this week we got a visit from the doctor in charge of all the medical stuff for the missionaries in Europe, Elder Greenwood. It was a lot of fun, and he and his wife took us out to eat at a super expensive restaurant (I don't know how to order anymore) and later to ice cream. It was interesting to hear his stories and learn a bit more about just how organized the church really is. It's actually really impressive.

To close, one neat story that happened to us this past week was that we went to go visit a less active member. She's has been going through some really hard times with her family, and is going through a divorce right now too, and works way too much, and so she can't ever come to church, but in the lesson we had with her she showed a powerful testimony. We taught the plan of salvation, and put a special emphasis on the Atonement, and the spirit just flowed into the lesson. My companion shared a personal story and we taught what was probably one of the best lessons I've ever been in. It was amazing to see how powerful the Atonement is, and I realized that I will never understand it completely, simply because it is such a huge thing that I can't grasp the idea.

 

I know that Heavenly Father loves me and that Jesus Christ suffered and died for me, and that He also rose again so that I can as well. What a huge blessing it is to have this knowledge!! I feel so blessed to be here in this mission to share it.

 

I know this church is true.

 

Love,

Elder Dixon

2000 people!

June 2, 2014

Well, this week I honestly don't know really what to write. We had a regular week, mostly except that we went to Mayorca, the big island, for a conference, so that was fun. Also, we did a lot of service for a member who fell and broke her ankle. We cooked and got her a wheelchair, which of course we rode around more than she did :) also, fast Sunday was good. Almost every member bore their testimonies. It was great :)

 

We are looking for new ways to find people as well, because we have a mission goal to find  2000 new people to teach. It's crazy! But we will make it! That's really it for this week, but to end I want to share a little story.

 

 There is a lady who cannot go to church because she is 85-ish and really weak , and she just recently had to stop coming to church. She tells us every time exactly how much time she hasn't been, and it's sad.  But we have been visiting her and taking the sacrament and I absolutely love her. She always is sitting in her chair, and to the left is her scriptures, and to the right is a bunch of pictures of missionaries and cards, and the neatest thing is that she always says the closing prayer. And this is where I really am impressed by her. It is so difficult for her to stand up and walk, and yet she always stands to say the prayer. She is truly a example to me. I hope that I can be like her when I am old. 

 

Love you all, 

 

Elder Dixon.

Day 12 On The Island!

This week was pretty good. The work here is really slowing down with the summer, but that has been making it fun for us, because we have to try new things, so we have been visiting different places trying to do service, and we have been passing by or calling all of the old investigators, and stuff like that. Also, we have been going through the past 8 years of contacts the missionaries have made, and trying to contact them all. It's been crazy, but we have seen miracles happen! I know that if we work hard we can see results! It's just the waiting part that's rough.

This week also, Elder Ponce and I got a little sick, so that was kind of a bummer, but I was really impressed by how determined my companion is, even if it is almost to the point of stupidity.   He wouldn't go sleep, because he wanted to go work even though he felt like trash.  Haha, but I guess I'm the same because I didn't want to sleep either:) it kind of just attacked us. He got sick first one day, then the next I was out for the count as well. But, we are back up on our feet now so that's a good thing:) Oh...speaking of feet...I found a hole in my shoes!! Yay!!! Now I look like a real missionary, with shoes that I have worked in:) Haha, good thing it doesn't rain very much here:)

So, here's some tidbits of info about where I am now. On the island of Menorca are two major cities, Cituadella, and Mao. I'm in Mao, the bigger one, with Elder Ponce as my companion, and with Elder Neumiller as my district leader and his companion Elder Johnson, and we are part of the Baleares Zone, which includes all the islands, not just ours, so go to conferences we have to fly to Palma, the big island. So basically, I have half an island as my area:) The weather here is beautiful, but I'm told it will get really hot soon. It's super pretty here though. Tthe sky is so clear and blue, and  there isn't any pollution.

The branch here is really small, and actually most of the people are in primary, so that's kind of funny.  There are two families - with 3 kids each, and a few other members as well. But here is the crazy thing. Out of all the members in the branch, half are recent converts, within the last 6 months.  It's crazy!!!  It's super neat to see.  Apparently, when Elder Nuemiller got here 6 months ago there were only 7 people in church each week. Yesterday there were 25:)

That's pretty much the run down.

I hope you all have a great week. Always look for the miracles in your lives. They are EVERYWHERE!! All you have to do is look.  Then thank Heavenly Father for them. That's the most important part.

Stay Strong.

Love you all,

Elder Dixon

PS - Since I am on such a small island the mail system is terrible.  Please send all letters and packages to the mission home.  It will take longer to get to me - but at least I will get them :)

Last post until Monday...

May 19, 2014

This week was crazy!! We have seen so many miracles already! The biggest one was yesterday, the Clark's took us to two different pueblos to visit some members, and it was pouring rain, so that was a blessing, but the miracle came that we got to go see our ward mission leader, who we haven't seen for the past 4 weeks! We had a great lesson, and it was super great. Then we went to a menos activa lady and that was great too. I love the rain.  It seems that when the weather is bad, somehow, the miracles just explode. It reminded me of when I was in Zaragoza with Elder Wiscombe after we had gotten 4 fechas and it was a really rainy day. I loved it.

 

My companion is really great as well.  We have our differences, and we work super differently, but its good.  I'm learning so much.  He really likes to work quickly and efficiently.

 

I am still trying to adjust to life here, it's just really different, but, I love it already, and my district is great.  It's so pretty here.

 

One thing that was neat too, is that yesterday, one of the recent converts gave his first talk, on faith, and it was so good.  He did a great job, and it was a really spiritual experience, even though he was super nervous before hand.  I love the members here. They are really great.

 

that's really it. Maó (the city I'm in) is super small, and so there aren't that many people here.  It's really pretty though.  Everybody knows everybody else too.   It's crazy, but good:)

 

I hope you all had a great week too:)

 

Love ya!

Elder Dixon