Thursday, July 14, 2016

Welcome Home!!

He has Returned With Honor!





Welcome Home, Nathan!  
We have MISSED you, and are SO proud of your focus, testimony, and work you've done!


God Be With You til We Meet Again


Time to leave.
One final picture of the group of missionaries leaving today.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

(PS...Favorite Foods I'm looking forward to...)

Nathan,  are there any foods you are especially craving when you get home?

YES!

  • homemade cinnamon rolls, 
  • Brueggers bagels (blueberry and cinnamon), 
  • chocolate chip cookies, 
  • turkey casserole, 
  • lasagna, 
  • taco salad, 
  • enchiladas, 
  • Jamba juice, 
  • homemade ice cream, 
  • Marriott buffet, 
  • jacks pizza, 
  • root beer floats, 
  • popcorn, 
  • mashed potatoes, 
  • potato soup, 
  • Chipotle, 
  • Buffalo wild wings, etc. 
This is so overkill. I can't even list how many things I’m craving jaja but whateves is fine. Sure love you mom! Can't wait to see you!

Elder Hicken

Monday, July 11, 2016

This is it.

We`ll I guess this is it. Huge shout out to all those who have supported me these last 2 years. Thank you. Definitely been a great experience, something I wouldn’t trade for anything. I’ve come to really love Guatemala. My love for the people, food and culture will always be with me throughout my life.

I’m grateful for how my testimony has grown. I know God loves His children. I know that Jesus Christ is our Saviour and the Redeemer of the world. All of God`s children can be cleansed from sin and one day enter into His presence.

Being imperfect, I sometimes think why would God let me be a part of His grand work of salvation. As I’ve served others, I’ve come to feel a small part of the love that God feels for His children. Through the hard times I’ve been able to overcome and become better. What a privilege to help Him and to bless the lives of those around me. Surely He has blessed me more than I’ve helped Him.

Again thank you to all! See you on Thursday!

Elder Hicken



Monday, July 4, 2016

4th of July

Happy 4th of July everyone! Attached are some photos of what my comp and I did to celebrate.





I've been reading in the New Testament lately. Paul is such an example to me of faith, diligence, love, service and dedication. He truly was an apostle of God. A few scriptures that caught my attention are found in Filipenses 3:13-14
.
        ¨Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one
thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth
unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.¨

I know that it really doesn't matter where we are, but rather where we´re headed. We want to be heading towards Christ. By the power of the Atonement, we can be cleansed and healed. The enabling power of the Atonement allows us to find strength and persevere. How grateful I am to know that I can move on and be better when I make mistakes and when things get rough.

My companion and I saw many miracles this week. Just to mention a few, we were able to contact a family that we haven't been able to find for a while. The dad and mom are both interested to learn more!

Also, Adam is a recent convert as of 5 weeks ago.  We were able to talk to his brother. He accepted our invitation to come to church and then he actually came!  He is really looking at Adams example and wants to do the right things.

Anyways, hope everyone has a great week! This is the Lords work. I know it's true.

Elder Hicken

General Conference

So glad the family trip to CO and UT was a blast! Cool that you were able to take family names to the new temple in Provo. That's awesome. Temple work is great.

It was so good to hear from the living day prophet and apostles whom we could sustain as prophets, seers and revelators. It was spiritually uplifting as well to hear from the other leaders and general authorities of the church. I'm so grateful for their counsel. I know it comes from the Lord.

One talk that particularly caught my attention was that of Elder Gary E. Stevenson. He's the one who talked about lost car keys. He taught of the absolute necessity of car keys to properly operate a car, and then compared this analogy to the necessity of priesthood keys. For centuries, spiritually speaking the car doors were locked and the keys nowhere to be find. We no longer have to wonder where they are. This is Christ`s church. The priesthood keys were restored on this earth through the prophet Joseph Smith by heavenly prophets and apostles of old. It made me think about all the blessings that I have received through the restored priesthood keys in my life. It also got me thinking about, what does it mean to me that God has entrusted His children with these sacred keys?

Of course it was just one talk of many that caught my attention. I'm excited to be able to continue reading and listening to the conference talks. I know the Lord will pour out His spirit to those who do, who continually search and study modern day revelation for His church. I invite all to continue reading the talks given at this General Conference session in April of 2016 and even those given before. The Lord will bless you with understanding and spiritual guidance.

Neat miracle this week. My companion and I went to the small aldea in our area, where a few days earlier, my companion had spotted one of his converts from last year drunk on the side of the road. We talked to him and later that night prayed for him. But as we were walking through the streets of San Lorenzo that day, we felt to visit a member family. After sharing a short message we asked if there was anyone who was in need. They told us of a family close by. We went in that very moment. As we talked with them we came to realize it was the family of my companions convert that we had found drunk just days before. It was a miracle. They were so receptive to our messages of love and hope and very interested to learn more.

In my personal study, I was reading in the Book of Mormon of Ammon and his brethren and their mission among the Lamanites. It was interesting to me to see the terror of Lamoni's father and his willingness to give up so much to gain eternal life.
                 ¨What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be castoff at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake MY KINGDOM, that I may receive this great joy¨ (Alma 22:15).

What are we willing to give up to really know Christ? to receive eternal life? to have priesthood power?
I love the scriptures. I know that the Lord loves all of his children and his arms are extended towards all who repent sincerely.

Hope everyone has a great week! Nos vemos

Paz y amor

Elder Hicken

Fotos:


Monday, June 27, 2016

Finishers Wanted

Thanks for your letter mom.  Sometimes it seems summers can be even more chaotic than school. Jaja but it's good.

It's been another great week! I love the mission! Trying to finish strong. Had a neat miracle. So, I was on divisions a week ago with a member who introduced me to a guy whod gotten baptized 5 years ago. Only a few months after getting baptized, he had gone to the States but had just recently returned. We invited him back to church and he said he would go. To our surprise not only did he show up, but he brought his nonmember girlfriend with him as well. She was really nice and said she wanted to learn more! Cool. Definitely a miracle.

My companion and I got stranded in a small town about an hour and a half from where we live. It was already late and although a member was with us we were a little worried about how late we were going to get home. We said a prayer and started walking when a man drove by and gave us a ride. He happened to be a general in the army. Really nice guy. An answer to our prayers. Sure saved us from a long walk and we got home on time. I know it wasn't by chance that he just happened to come by when we he did.

Realizing it's so important not to waste any opportunities. I printed out a talk by Pte. Thomas S. Monson entitled, ¨Finishers Wanted¨.

There was a poem he read that says, 
 ¨For of all sad words of tongue or pen,  
the saddest are these: 
‘It might have been!´¨ 

I hope to never have to say those words. I just keep trying my best.


Hope everyone has a great week! I know this gospel is true.

Elder Hicken

ps. As a zone, we went to an awesome waterfall today! Super fun