Baptisms

Happy leap year! Someone in the ward was actually born on leap year.  We´ll be stopping by later to wish him a happy birthday. 

Congrats on the basketball success buddy. Keep up the good work! The temple really is a special place.

Jose Folgar continues to be strong in the church. We saw him Sunday morning riding on his mo-ped going to pick up his girlfriend. He stopped and told us he had invited his brother to go to church!  Cool. but that his brother didn´t want to come cuz he's Catholic. The important thing is that he tried and will keep on trying. Jose is awesome! Sharing the gospel with everybody.  He and his girlfriend are planning on getting married in March!

Joonathan Rodas got baptized! I know I know...Jose? Jonathan? Its like I were baptizing my family! I'm looking for Shauns and Susans now just that those names aren't too common down here. Jonathan wasn´t nervous, but rather calm and at peace. Last week he had gone to Xela to spend time with his family for his birthday. When he got there, his family and other church leaders were waiting for him. They asked him why he hadn't gone to the evangelical church. Then they began to grill him about his decision to be baptized. Joonathan told us later that he stood his ground, bore testimony of the gospel and things calmed down. On his birthday, he came back to Huehue and we wished him a happy birthday.

 He was ready Saturday for the baptism. His girlfriend's brother was going to baptize him but then didn't because he wasn't sure he would have been able to support him. Anyway, during the program, I was able to play How Great Thou Art on the violin. Crazy, huh? After the actual ordinance Joonathan told me that the song played was his dads favorite, and that it had brought peace to his mind listening to it. Tender mercy.  Joonathan is honestly one of the most prepared people I've ever met. He has plans to get married and be sealed as soon as possible. That's awesome. Everybody's getting married! I know he´ll be a great leader and blessing to those he serves.

Have a great week!

Peace and love

Elder Hicken

Jose's Baptism

Already sent off my business idea to Joseph. Of course I didn`t tell him the best one just in case I might use it later jaja jk Miss grandma and grandpa so much! They`re in my prayers. Hope they got the email I sent them. Keep doing your thing Jonathan.

So, José Folgar! His girlfriend had been bringing him to church, in his shirt, suitcoat and tie. He looked so much like a member that we didn`t figure out he wasn’t until he had already attended 3 times! We challenged him to be baptized last week and he accepted. He was baptized on Saturday the 20th. I ended up borrowing a violin from our neighbor, and got to play a song in front of everybody. Didn`t turn out quite like I wanted. Boy, do I need to practice! jaja Towards the end of the baptismal service, José bore his testimony. The Spirit was very strong. He said that he had read everything we`d given him and more and had prayed to know that these things were true.

Jonathan Rodas will be baptized this Saturday! His girlfriend is attending in another ward close by but he just happens to live in our area. He lives with his grandparents in San Lorenzo. He comes from a family of pastors, not joking, that goes back 4 generations. That means his parents, his grandparents and his great-grandparents are all pastors. But he knows that what we`ve taught is true. To be honest, he`s done most of the teaching. We`ve given him something to read, and the next time we talk he brings a hand written, sometimes typed, report of what he read. We had a family home evening in the house of a member last night, and Jonathan bore his testimony that he knew what he had read and what we`d taught was true.

We went to the temple as a zone this last week! It was so peaceful, calm and reenergizing to be in the house of the Lord. Why do we go to the temple? A scripture that really caught my attention is in DyC 109:22-23, which says,

22 And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be roundabout them, and thine angels have charge over them;

23 And from this place they may bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ends of the earth, that they may know that this is thy work, and that thou hast put forth thy hand, to fulfill that which thou hast spoken by the mouths of the prophets, concerning the last days.

This is the Lord`s work! He has restored his gospel on the earth today in it`s fullness. He has commanded his people to build temples and has promised blessings to those who are worthy and enter. I know that the priesthood has been restored and that it`s by that power that the ordinances are performed in the house of the Lord.

Have a great week! Adiós

Elder Hicken

Zone Conference Pic

Sorry I’ll have to write ya next week. Not a lot of time today. But there were a lot of miracles! For starters, we have a baptism this Saturday! His name is Jose Folgar. Tell ya more about it next week!

Zone Conference!

Zone Activity

sorry I’ll have to write ya next week. Not a lot of time today. We got back from the district activity pretty late. 

But there were a lot of miracles! For starters, someone’s getting baptized this Saturday! His name is Jose Folgar. Tell ya more about it!

Peace

Elder Hicken

Miracles

Glad to hear things are going well back home!

My companion and I had a great week! First of all, we went to the leaders meeting with Pte. Smith and the assistants. It was great to hear the inspired words of president and I sure learned a lot to help the zone, our area and I [myself].

Second, that same night, two of our investigators who we hadn’t been able to get in touch with magically appeared. It was a miracle! We taught them about the plan of salvation and both accepted a baptismal date. Nelson, the husband said he was ready to be baptized and that he knew what we had taught was true. It really built my testimony that God has a plan for all of us. We just need to listen and follow His voice.

Later in the week, my companion and I had divisions with Elder Harward and Sanchez. Both came to our area to work. I went with Elder Sanchez. There was one lady in particular who we had visited before. Her name is Diana. She’s been reading the Book of Mormon and praying but still had her doubts. She wants to know whether or not what we are telling her is true. We told her it was all true. And we explained our purpose as missionaries as we talked about the Restoration of the gospel. After bearing our testimonies, we challenged her to be baptized. She said yes!

On Friday, we went to visit a couple that at first wasn’t very interested in our message. The first time we had met with the husband, he told us straight up that he had already been baptized and that he didn’t see why he needed to be baptized again. After coming back a few days later, the husband and wife were there. We taught about the Book of Mormon and in the end they both accepted a baptismal date.

I know this is the Lord´s work. He´s so happy with those who try their best and put forth there 110% effort for His cause. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ confide in us. May we all confide in them and the promises we’ve made.

Have a great week! Paz y amor

Elder Hicken

p.s. we went to the Zaculeu ruins today! Don't have any way to send the pics but they'll be coming soon!

Progress

Happy the organ is working! Really glad to hear an update about grandma.. It’s been a good week. Seen a lot of miracles! My companion and I have really tried to work with the members more, and it’s super helpful! We`ve seen great progress. It was awesome that a lot of members were able to go with us teaching and they were really excited about the work. In the ward we have a lot of returned missionaries so we tried to focus in on them. We feel as though the ward has so much potential with so many return missionaries. We tried to be humble as well, asking for their tips and council after a lesson. We applied it later in our teaching and it really helped. Neat experience. A few weeks ago, I had received a reference from one of my old companions that had served here in Huehue Centro. He said this nice lady had given them lunch often, however, she had never wanted to listen to their message. We had planned to look for her but she found us first!  We were buying some things in a store when she came up to us and explained that she had given lunches to the missionaries before. She said she would be happy to have us over and feed us, so we went! After lunch we offered to share a scripture from the Book of Mormon. She liked it, and at the end she committed to read and pray about the Book of Mormon! When we returned, she had read and prayed! She felt as though she hadn`t received an answer but was interested to keep studying and praying. She accepted a baptismal date. The Lord prepares his children in their own time. The Castillo family is doing well. Unfortunately I was only able to visit them once this week because my companion went to visit them while we were on divisions. He was excited and said he met even more of the family, the mom and another sibling. They`re struggling to attend church though because the majority of them work on Sunday. We know that if they keep reading and praying, that the Lord can bless them. He can help them find a way to keep His commandment to keep the Sabbath Day holy, and to go to church.  My companion was sick on Thursday. He stayed in bed all day, except for a meeting we had with the stake president and Pte. Smith. Poor guy. But he`s all better now and we`re working hard. Being a missionary is great! I feel so blessed to be apart of this work and to see so many miracles! I know the hand of the Lord is in His work. Hope everyone has a great week! Chao Elder Hicken