Great Christmas 12/28/15

Felizzzzzz Navidad! (un poco tarde)

Wow this Christmas was really special! It went by really fast but it was A LOT of fun.  At like 7 in the morning we crossed the river to get to town and guess who I ran into, my trainer Elder Lopez! He ended his mission about a year ago exactly by came back for the season to visit people with his parents. It was awesome to see him again. (pic 1) After that we went to Chauçhuits and had a zone meeting. It was pretty cool, we gave service by helping a recent convert make 15 piñatas for a cinceneta and then we played Christmas jeopardy and ate tlayudas(like these giant quesidillas like 4 inches thick) and shrimp. Classic Oaxacan meal. We went to the park and got to take a district photo!(pic 2, that's our district)Then we headed back and we didn't get invited to any special Christmas dinners(there a VERY few members) but we did teach some amazing lessons! We found a sister named Maribel who we contacted the other week and this was going to be the second lesson with her. Well we got there and her husband was there. We went and we taught the Restoration and her husband was very quiet but when we asked if he though Joseph smith was a prophet we was like "I don't know, but I think so, how can I know?" then we taught him about prayer and he offered an amazing one. We talked about how many time the holy ghost works through feeling and if he reads ponders and prayers he can know if our message is true. We've got another visit for this Wednesday and were super excited, we know they are going to receive their answers. Anyways that was my Christmas, I'm glad you enjoyed the cold back home, here it is nothing but HOT!  but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I love you guys so much, Adios!

Temple Dedication 12/14/15

ay buenos dias!

This week was awesome! my companion and I were in Ixhuatan Sunday Monday and Tuesday because an elder there had to go to Tuxtla to sign some documents and​ my companion and I stayed with his companion. It's always a lot of fun visiting other areas because you don't know anyone and you can literally invite everyone you come into contact with to come unto Christ. We've been teaching a lot with the Christmas videos a savior is born and it has been very useful. If you haven't seen it yet look it up at mormon.org/christmas, they're both amazing!

Yesterday we went and saw the temple dedication in Tijuana. It was incredible. Elder Uchtdorf spoke about service and how were we serve others we are really only serving our Savior, it was amazing!

Were working a lot with a kid named Angel. he's 15, his parents don't live together and right now he lives by himself. He's been church more that 20 times but its been a while, he's struggled a lot with drugs and alcohol in his life and he wants to be baptized but he's afraid he's going to fall into bad habits again. Were teaching a lot about the Holy ghost and how it is a counsel and guide to us and we are going to help him understand the Atonement of Christ and how through his faith and obedience he can be forgiven nd born again. He's such an awesome kid, if he does his part I know the Lord will bless him

Anyways I love you all, have an awesome Christmas!

12/7/15 Other Elders in the Mission

Well the biggest difference is here during Christmas its still like 90 degrees outside, oh my goodness it is hot!​ But they all celebrate Christmas here and the night before they all eat tamales and arroz con leche(rice with milk)

This last week we had a multizoner conference and our President taught us about our Savior. It was amazing, it really helped me recognize how much Jesus Christ really loves us and how we need to make the most out of ready day to show our love for him. Every day we need to reassure the things that he's taught us and show him that we appreciate all that he's given us. Ah man I love Christmas so much!

Yeah I remember that trip, it was awesome! You should take Justin out there, I'm sure he'd love it!

He }y well I'm doing really good, it really is exhausting work but there is nothing more rewarding and I'm happier then I've ever been. I just want to say I love you all and thanks for the package mom! I just got it but I haven't opened it yet ill wit till Christmas don't worry. Anyways have an awesome week!

Elder Wixom

 

 

These are the other Elders in our district, they came and helped out with the baptism last week!

 

Baptism 11/30/15 New Pictures

We baptized two little kids, Anali (8) and Santiago (9). They're so awesome. They both have wanted to be baptized for a really long time but didn't have support from their families. We talked to the parents of both of them and we taught them about Jesus Christ and his Atonement and they opened up. Their mothers even came to the baptism! It's opened the door for us to visit their whole families and I'm sure their parents will soon follow.

To be honest we don't have a whole lot of  investigatores that are progressing, it's been kinda hard but we've had to drop a lot of really good people who don't keep commitments in order to find those who are ready. We are confident the Lord will help us find those that are ready to follow him.

Anyways I love you guys a ton, its sounds like you all enjoyed thanksgiving! I forgot all about it haha, maybe next year ;)}

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Wixom

​

Santiago y su mama!

We had two baptisms this week(yay!) they were both kind of miracles

Great Week 11/23/15

Jaja those pictures are awesome, Justin is such a goof.​

My new companion Elder Panohaya is awesome. He is a pretrained missionary, he has four older brothers who have all been on missions and so my companion has practical been living in the MTC for 19 years. We're still here in San Franscico del Mar Pueble Nuevo and I don't ever want to leave. This area is so amazing, it's had a lot of ups and downs in the years but right now everyones getting excited to watch it grow again.

This week we're going to do a zone wide consecration where we get together and bless the area. Then as a zone all the missionary's will leave with the priesthood members and visit all the members and investigadores de cade area to bless there familias and their homes so they can more fully párticipate in the mission work. It's going to be amazing. 

Sorry I don't have time to rewrite it in english jaja but David our investigator is doing awesome!

Mi companero y yo estamos aqui trabajando, mi companero vino pre preparado y ya trabaja bien duro. Es un buen ejemplo para mi. Ayer vinieron tres investigadores a la iglesia, Santiago, Anali, y David. David wow is un milagro. Es muy bueno el, ha asistido a nuestra iglesia antes pero alla en mexico y le gusto mucho. Nos dijo que sentio que era la iglesia verdadera. Despues tuvo un sueno en que dios le dio un vaso de agua para tomar pero no lo tomo. Pudimos explicarle que el vaso era la santa cena y despues el bautismo al tomar la cena dignamente se limpia de sus pecados. Vino a la capilla el seguiendo dia y acepto la fecha bautismal para este 19. ve a ser el primer miembro de su familia y van a ser una familia eterna.Dios esta preparando la gente solo hay que buscar con el espiritu de fe y mucha oracion.

​Anyways I love you all, have awesome week!​

​Elder Wixom​

Mission Home 11/16/15

Hey! That's awesome, here it's just really really hot always. I guess it never gets cold here in Chauhuites, it's just sunny, and even more sunny.  So this week was really strange. Due to transfers and green card problems we spent about the whole week traveling and about 6 hours working our my own area. The weirdest thing is due to ticket prices our leaders had my companion stay in Chahuites while I got to travel solo. That was terrible, after being glued to someone for a year it's the strangest feeling every to be traveling by yourself, I never want to do that again haha. But the cool thing is that I had some of the best contacts of my mission. I took a taxi to get to the mission office and I talked with a man named Carlos. He's not a member but 3 days before I talked with him he drove some sister missionaries around and talked with them. He said he was really interested in their message but didn't have alot of time to talk with them. They gave him a pamphlet and he told me he had been reading it in his taxi when I came up. We talked a while (it's like 15 minutes to get to the offices) and he told me all about his family his wife and how neither attend church but both are wanting to know more about God. We talked about our church and Gods love for all of us and about that's why he wants us to go to church and he got so excited. I taught him how to pray and he said he's going to pray and go to church I was able to promise him if he did that God would answer his prayers. I had to leave then but I have no doubt that if he prayed and went to church it wont be long until he and his family will be baptized. Oh my goodness that was just one thing that happened but saw so many miracles this week it was amazing. God Loves us and knows us and wants the best for each and everyone one of us and knows what we need and when we need it.

Anyways my new companion is awesome, he's Elder Panohaya from Puebla. We've got two baptisms planned this week. Our president has set goals for every companionship. He wants us to contact 140 people every week and have at least 21 lessons with investigators and another 7 with less active or recently converted members.

Well I'm super out of time but I love you all and hope you have an awesome week!

Elder Wixom

New Transfer 11/9/15

Happy Birthday Madi! How do you feel to be finally be 15? Ready to drive? I know 9 year boys and girls who drive around in adult 200cc motorcycles all the time, it really changes your perspective on drivers safety. Anyways you're going to have so much fun this year. Here when it's your birthday and when you go to blow out the candles they shove your head in the cake, I hope that hasn't happened to you ;)

So we just got transfers and guess what, I've got another tranfer here! (woohoo) I'm super excited, right now I've got to head to tuxtla because I'm going to be training again, I don't know who yet but I love working with the new missionarys. But saadly that means Elder Rosas is leaving..  but its ok because he's going to my old zone with my companion from the MTC Elder Russell, They're going to be great together.

We're visiting a couple boys named Sayid and Eric and they are awesome! They always study the book of mormon and have tons of questions and really want to get baptized but their dad is reallly pentecostes. We're trying to get permision from their parents to attend church because these children really are amazing, we're going to do all we can think this week to try to help them.

Right now the branch we're in there's about 20 active members. Only the president and a very old man named Agustin worthly hold the priesthood but there are others who attend every now and then. David is married with a kid and he's really awesome, he really wants to stop drinking and smoking and we've been trying to show him how having faith in Christ and following him will help him. 

Thanks mom I just got your package, that was hilarious. One of our investigatooes Neftali was with us when I opened and he really like my guitaritita.

Anyways I love you all, have a fantastic semana!

Elder Wixom

Great Week 11/2/15

Haha those photos are awesome, I love the leaders back home, they're great! Here the day of the dead is pretty much normal except, unlike back home, they eat a TON of tamales. The bright side is a sister taught me how to do it so if I can find maseca back home were going to be eating really good next Halloween.​ Also a bunch of little kids wanted candy from us but it was Sunday and we forgot to buy candy Saturday so we just contacted a bunch of little kids and invited them to the church and to come to our English classes. It was really fun.

Well yesterday rained a TON so not alot of people ended up coming to church but just has the third hour was supposed to start came one of our investigators David. He's about 30 and about the humblest funniest guy you'll meet. He's been to  church a few times before but when he was away working in Mexico city. We found him awhile ago and he always said he wanted to go to church but he never came until today. We'd planned to have a couple who live close pass by for him, they never should but but David he came! It was a miracle! We've been having a hard time getting the people we visit come to church so it was so awesome to see him come and enjoy his time with the members. I cant wait to see him get baptized.

That's so amazing for Derek! Hes going to do so well! When does he leave? That's so fantastic.

So how goes Katie, is she still alive? haven't heard from her in a while.

Anyways thanks for the letter, I'm glad you guys are doing great, have an awesome week!

Elder Wixom

Working hard 10/26/15

Hey I just wanted to write you guys rapidisimo and say thanks for the emails and the love. The photos are pretty hilarious haha I'm glad your all having fun! I've been thinking a lot about our families and how important they are and about how happy I am to be apart of this one. Me and my companion have a lot of work to do this week were really trying to help our branch grow so I don't have much time but I hope you all have the best week!

Con Amor,

Elder Wixom

Believe it or now there are a lot of Jehovas Witnesses here. Who knew but in Mexico they're huge.  Also I don't know if you've heard of Pentecosts but there's tons of them too. But there's a good amount of Mormons and we're growing every day and that's the important thing.

I get along with everybody fine. My companion is the man, funniest guy ever who gives a lot of service, he's always working. I really do love it here.

So how is the scripture study going? are you learning a lot? I hope so! the book of Mormon is incredible! it's taught me so much on my mission. Anyways I hope you have an awesome, let me know how the fams doing!

Elder Wixom

Machete 10/19/15

Wow tell Katie happy birthday. Here when it's your birthday they throw a bucket of water on you or "shower" you. Maybe you could start that in Idaho.

This week we did a lot of service. I helped cut down a GIANT mango tree with a machete. A really awesome convert fed us Thursday and gave us shrimp bigger than my fist. We found a boy whose parents are super inactive that wants to get baptized named Jose. We're going to start teaching him with hopes that we can get his family to come to church as well.

Maria's awesome! Happy as can be doing better health wise. This week we had to drop a lot of investigators that aren't progressing :( so now were on the hunt for a bunch of new people to visit!)

Thanks for everything! The missionaries in our district are doing really really well! Its been a lot of fun these last few weeks, we're just praying and looking for who else the Lord is preparing to accept that gospel. I hope you have an awesome week!

Elder Wixom

Baptism 10/12/15

Wow, this week was awesome. I feel like I've spent literally no time in my own area this week. We've been traveling so much to Chauhuites and Izhuatan it's been crazy, but we got to see a bunch of cool miracles this week.

So the first miracle this week was we baptized Hna Maria de Jesus (por fin!). This is an hna who completely changed her life for the gospel. She's the mom of a recent convert sister. Maria used to be a heavy drinker with her husband and never wanted anything to do with any church. She even used to harass the missionaries when they passed by. Well a couple years ago she got really really sick(probably from all the drinking) and had to move back with her daughter. She's been having a really hard time with all of her health complications and her husband as well. They cut off about half of his foot. I think that's what really humbled her. Since then she's given up alcohol, cafe, she even got legally married after living together with her husband for over 30 years. It was an awesome to be able to get to know and teach her. She wanted to be baptized because she feels like i'ts the right  thing to do and she wants to live more like Christ.  My companion baptized her this Saturday in the church that's in Ixhautan and it was amazing. 

Oh man I wish there was time to tell you guys more. This week was incredible! Thanks for the letters and thanks for the support! I hope you all have an awesome week!

Elder Wixom

Conference 10/5/2015

Haha! I love that picture! and hey Happy Birthday mom! I am so happy your my mom! The first time our zone leader saw Rosemary Wixom he was like   ´es su mama? Es Su Mama!?´ it was really funny but I'm happy she not my mom because my mom is the best!  When it's your birthday here in Mexico your friends get together and soak you with water! I dont know if that's a tradition yet in Idaho but that's definitely something I'm going to bring home with me!

So we got to watch conference this weekend. We had to go all the way to Chahuites and stay the night at the zone leaders house. It was a lot of traveling but it was awesome! I have never felt the spirit so strongly watching general conference before. You could  just feel and know while these men were speaking that they are called of God. Es Increible! 

I love you all, I hope you all have the best week this week! Nos vemos!

Elder Wixom

Yeah! I loved this general conference! The three new apostles are going to do really well, you could feel the spirit strongly when they were sharing their testimonies, I'm glad they've been called to represent our church. I'm so jealous, were going to have to keep going to every priesthood session as a family when I get back, it'll be so much fun!

Camden haha, yeah I'm sure he's loving his mission right now, every now and then I'll get an email from him and he's just as funny and happy as ever.

What's been standing out a lot to me the last little while is the importance of the family, and especially my family. I just want to say I love you dad for all your sacrifices and patience with me through out the years. I cant wait to come home and spend some more time with all of you. Thanks for the support and thanks for the emails and hug mom for me and tell her happy birthday.  I hope the best for you guys this week! Hasta Luego!

Elder Wixom

Tansfers 9/28/15

Hey! This week we had transfers! and I'm going all the way toooo, San
Francisco del Mar! I'm staying here haha. That was such a relief, I
love working here, its been so fun helping the branch grow. Our
district here has had a great transfer and were excited for this
month, we've got a lot of cool things planned. Sorry its really hard to
write much here, I'll try to send some pictures if I can! I hope you
all have an awesome week!


Elder Wixom

Turtle Eggs 9/21/15

Completing one month I am now officially Oaxcero, no longer 100 % Chiapineco. The change is difficult but what has changed is the first thing that everyone asks me is if I'll teach them English. We are now teaching classes Tuesday in the afternoon. If you have any Oaxacan friends make sure to let them classes are at 3 in the church. 

We had our baptism this week! It was really really complicated, it seems Satan is always trying his hardest to keep us from baptising. Well we spent literally 12 hours Saturday cleaning then filling then recleaning then refilling the font and for some reason just as it was about ready it was just fill with water that was just disgusting. We didn't know what to do because the baptism was already late so we just called a truck and we did the baptism in the river! It was amazing. It was a young woman who just moved here from Ixhuatan and was talking with the Elders over there. Her name is Paola. We invited the other elders to come and baptize her and it was amazing. It was Elder Pugmires first baptism and he got to do it in the river! Ha Paola has an awesome time and it all went really well. 

Right now Elder Rosas and I are looking really hard to find a family to teach. Pte George promised that if we look with faith we can all find and baptise a family of 3 this transfer so my companion and I are really excited. We pray everyday to find them.

Hey I love you all and am so happy to be here serving the Lord right now, there's nowhere better I could be. thanks for all the support, I hope you all have an awesome week!

Elder Wixom

 

 

We had a family night in Oaxaca and we had turtle eggs! they dont cook them you just bite into them and they're awesome!

 

 

Fun Area 9/14/15

Yeah I've got Spanish down for the most part, I can read things just fine it's just the accent I'm trying to get down now. I want to sound like a real Chiaponeco jeje. Sol has a lizard? and you killed it?(accidentally)  that's weird. There's lots of lizards in Oaxaca every night we find new ones all over our house. We found a girl who was being taught by the missionary's before and remembers everything and really wants to get baptized so if all goes well we'll have a baptism for hna paola this Saturday! Hey I love you guys and hope you have an awesome week!

Elder Wixom

Fast Week 9/7/15

Wow this week went by so fast! Wow this year went by so fast! Time passes by differently here, partly because there's always something to do and partly because here this run on a different time zone so when we schedule meetings at 6 have have to tell them at 5 and it makes things a little complicated.

This week was amazing! My companion and I are working really hard and learning a lot about how to teach the gospel here.  Did I ever tell you guys to enter our area we have to cross a river? Did I tell you that before we had to cross being pulled by a horse team but right now they're using boats? Well that's what we do every time we need to leave our area. This week we had to leave the area like 4 times and twice to go to a neighboring town ixhuatan. The first time we hd divisions and I went with an elder from sinoloa. We got to his area and started working when at like 8 at night it just started pouring. But when it rains here it rain hard. It almost hurts to be outside, it feels like someone is standing above you spraying you with a fire hose. anyways so we head back to the house I find out that the elders living here sleep with their beds outside! We get there and the beds are halfway placed under a overhang and halfway out in the open soaking wet. Well we're super beat from working in the sun all day so we put the sheets over the wettest part and just went to bed. It was really fun though being outside because here there is thunder and lighting and a lot of it.

I had another opportunity to go to ixhuatan and interview a man who was preparing to get baptized. His name is Edwin. Edwin is 24 years old, has a wife but they don't live together, he's been talking with the missionaries about two months now and he is one of the most humble people I have met. He used to be a heavy drinker  and went out all the time with his friends until one day he got drunk and broke somebodies closet. He was locked up for about 4 days and while in jail he prayed to God and wanted to change is life. When he got released he starts walking home and who does he run into? The missionary's! Since then he's made drastic changes in his life and his friends and even his work. He hasn't drank since and everyday reads in the book of mormon. It was such privilege to interview him, he is a example that anybody it doesn't matter who you are or where you're at in life can change and accept the Saviour. I know my Savior lives and he died so each one of us can live and if we follow his example each one of us can return to live with him again. I love you guys and hope you have an awesome week this week! Stay safe and remember to stay humble and remember the Savior!

(here's my companion eating a watermelon, there about 35 cents here)

New Area 8/31/15

This week was long. Our branch is awesome and members that attend are
really good but there's just not a lot of them. Our branch president is
the only active priestholder we have right now so a lot of
responsibilities fall on us. This Sunday my companion and I both spoke
and then we gave both the classes haha. It's fun to teach but we're
trying to help some of the members get more involved. This area was
recently closed for about 6 months and recently reopened to the
missionaries. Right now it's just me and my companion here in San
Francisco with two other companionship's on the other side of the river
in ixuatan. Right now I'm a district leader again which is fun but it's
a lot of responsibility out here. We're kinda isolated from everyone and
were about 2 and a half hours out from the zone leaders. Something
cool is I know 2 of them missionaries from tuxtla in our district right
now so.

Something nice about here is everyone knows us. We walk up to talk to
somebody and they already know all about us and we're doing here. They're
all really friendly too and willing to listen to our message. There's
a lot of people here willing to follow Christ right now w'ere just
trying to organize ourselves and the branch so we can help these
people the best we can.

Thanks for everything!
Elder Wixom

New Area 8/25/15

I don't have a lot of time, I got permission just to write you guys real quick today, we had a meeting this week so I didn't have time to write Monday.

Yeah its tiny. There's no cars just mototaxis and the Internet doesn't work there. They mostly speak Spanish but some of them speak other dialects. Also about half the people never learned how to read to we read a lot with them. About 5 adults attend church every week so were going to work really hard to get things going but I know we can if we listen to Lord. 

Have a great week!

Elder Wixom

Love you guys

New Area 8/17/15

Hey!!

So we just received cambios and guess what! I'm leaving Bosque. I'm going to somewhere called San Francisco del Mar it's by the coast. I leave in 2 hours. I'm not entirely sure where it's at to tell you the truth but my companion says it's by the border of Oaxaca. I'm super excited. We've been seeing a lot of progress in the families and we even have a date for hna antonia baptism! This 29 of August! Also hno evelio is little by little gaining his testimony and is praying if the Book of Mormon is written by a latter day prophet. I'll miss these families but they're in good hands with my companion. I'm excited to leave and find new families to start teaching. There's nothing more fulfilling or enjoyable then sharing the gospel with people you love. I love this church and I love our leaders and all they do for us. I know this is the only true church of Christ and by it we can be saved. I hope you all have an awesome week and that you can look for opportunities to share the gospel. Se cuiden!

Elder Wixom

City of the Pineapple 8/10/15

This Wednesday we had a multizone activity with the mission president and the missionaries. We went to some waterfalls by Coita (city of the pineapple). I'll send you some photos, it was really nice.

I love you guys, take care!

Elder Wixom

This week Evelio Cruz Agilar came to church! It was awesome we talked about prophets and apostles and you can see how everyday we visit his testimonies growing. I love teaching that family.

Right now were visiting Antonia and Nuri. I cant remember if I told you but Nuri is a member and his girlfriend is getting ready to be baptized. The problem is they need to get married first. That had a little but of a problem with there paperwork but we fasted with them and there family and invited about 8 other missionaries to join us and today in the afternoon were going to find out what the offices say. She is super ready to be baptized who knows everything and has a very strong testimony of Jesus and the book of Mormon. Right now were just praying and we've done all we can and were putting the rest in Gods hands and he's going to do whatever is best for them. 

yeah sell it I don't need. I'm going to buy a real chiaponeco hammock when I come back anyway haha.

Thanks dad for everything, take care of the family!

Elder Wixom

Picture 8/3/15

A miracle week 7/27/15

haha mi Espangol pues, mas o menos, pero ya va. The people here drink pozol a lot on Sunday's. Look it up, maybe you could buy it or order it, it's a drink made out of corn and it's sooooo good. Pozol de cacao is even better. Anyways the family is having a lot of health problems right now so we're trying to do what we can for them. They're awesome.

So this week we saw a miracle. We were visiting a couple a few months ago that left to Ocosingo and came back this week for vacations. So the boy is a member since but his girlfriend no and when we were visiting with them here in Tuxtla he was never very interested in coming back to church. Well something changed when they went to Ocosingo and when they came back because it turns out that the hna has been attending church and hasn't missed a week and he's started up again and has been going for about 3 weeks now. They as a couple have been reading the Book of Mormon and just finished it a few weeks ago. They've been really good with the compromises and progressing really well but the detalle has always been that they live together unmarried. This week we put a date that she could prepare to be baptised and a week earlier they could prepare themselves to get married and we asked them to prepare about it to know if it was what they should do. We came back and they said they prayed and received an answer. They felt like they should talk to their family and get their opinions and the parents who were recently unsupportive of their marriage told them they would help pay for the boda. They're really excited getting everything put together and they're super excited to be able to start taking the sacrament and prepare for her baptism. They put in their part and prayed and God answered their prayer.

 

Thanks for everything take care!

Elder Wixom

Great Week 7/20/15

Tuxtla is great, really warm haha. The people here are so, so friendly. Chiapas is amazing. 

Fun fact: the youngest in the family here in Chiapas is either called the Chunko (chew-nk-OH) or the pichi (peachy). For example, if madi was at home and was thirsty she could say "Chunko, dame agua!" and Justin would have to bring her agua because hes the chunko.

We're visiting a family right now that live just down the street. They came to church with us and and super friendly, they like reading and have tons of questions for us. We've also been a little sick the last little while so we have been able to visit them as often as we'd like but we're going to stop by tonight. If you like to pray for family Cruz Agilar that​ would be nice. 

I found a book the other day called the power of everyday missionaries by Clayton M Christensen. I'd like it if you guys could buy it and read it as a family. 

The next transfers are 15 of August. Wow it's almost been year since I've been out here. The time goes by quickly. Hey I love you dad and all you've done for me, you're an awesome example of Christ like values. 

Anyway thanks for everything! Cuidense!

Elder Wixom

7/13/2015

​Well something I'm learning now is the value of time. We've had an eternity to learn and grow and study and now we've only got about 80 years maximum to put it all to practice. We've only got one lifetime to choose to learn and know our Heavenly Father. I'm really grateful for the chance I have to be here and to learn the importance of our lives the smallest decisions we make. We only have so much time to study and live and make decisions it makes me want to make the most out of my time in the mission so when I return I can be know how and be prepared to teach my future family. Plus that's what I've been thinking a lot about lately, the gift of living a new day everyday and how we should enjoy each one.

7/6/2015

¡Hola!

Wow the cart looks great! And yeah the carts an awesome job if you can find enough events. This year I literally forgot all about the 4th haha, oops. But it sounds like you had a blast. They do a lot of fireworks here but mostly just bottle rockets and more in Ocosingo, my old area.

So this week we started visiting all the members and sharing with them Alma 6:6 which teaches us to fast and pray for those who don't know God. We've been inviting them in their personal prayers to pray specifically for the families we visit. I'd like to invite you guys to do the same but with people you know specifically in your ward. If right now you don't know anyone who is investigating the gospel to pray for I encourage you to look for someone and invite them to mutual to church with you and then make sure to include them in your prayers. Prayers make miracles when we do them right so really think about what your praying for and how you want God to answer your prayer. I know God answers prayers and is always ready to hear us. Thanks for everything fam and have an awesome week!

Con Amor,

Elder Wixom

Bad news, I think either the heat or the humidity got to my camera and ya murio :( But I will continue sending photos from my companions camera! Love you all, bye!

6/28/15

Heyyyy. 

Wow time flys by so fast.  We're doing really good here in Tuxtla. We had a hard week where almost all of our visits fell through but we're excited about the week to come. It's going to awesome. Thanks for the email and the prayers, I hope you all have an amazing week!

Elder Wixom

My District 6/22/15

Wow that sounds super fun! And if anything Justin traumatized us haha. This week was really great. I just wanted to bear my testimony to you guys really quick that I know this is the church Jesus made when he came to earth and it is the only place that we can find eternal happiness. I know God loves me and I love him and the missionary work it such a blessing, I invite you guys to look for opportunities to share the gospel. Anyways I hope you all have a great week, nos vemos!

-Elder Wixom

 

 Los Conejos!

 

Busy Week 6/15/15

Hey I love you guys! Thanks for the letters they mean a lot! This week we're going to the temple so we have 3 less hours to prepare today so I've got to run! I hope you guys have an amazing week!

Elder Wixom

6/8/15 My New Companion

¡Buenas Tardes!​

 Wow! so it sounds like los chuncos are doing great!​ And I know what you mean. I started bringing my notepad to all the church meeting and zone meetings and its amazing how much more you take out of Sunday's when you take thorough notes. That's something I'm going to want to do when I get back home.

 Elder Carreon and I  and getting along really well, he's 19 and from Puebla and he's a really really good missionary. Very humble and has a bunch of awesome ideas to help the ward. This cambio is going to be awesome! XD

This Sunday we weren't able to leave the church until 6 o'clock because we were waiting for the Bishop who had some important things to do. We were driving back thinking about who we need to visit when we get out of the truck and start walking down the sidewalk when we hear a women yelling "Elderes! Elderes!" Obviously we turn around and talk to her and she was crying because her baby has been sick with a fever for the last four days and she couldn't get him medical attention. She brought us to where she had been waiting in line to get her baby looked at and gave him a blessing right there. The baby stopped crying during the blessing and by the time we left you wouldn't even had known he'd been sick. It just makes you appreciate Gods hand in our lives and that when we need to be somewhere he provides the way.

Anyway thanks for the letters and the love and thank you family for your example to me growing up, I love you all so much!

Elder Wixom

 

My compadre Elder Carreon!

​¡Comiendo como chiaponeco! (dont worry its apple-soda)

 

New Companion 6/1/15

So my new companion got changed and now I'm actually with Elder Carreon. He's from Puebla(almost mexico city). He's an awesome Elder wth bastante spiritual expericnecs we're going to have an awesome cambio. Right now we've got a lot of intruccion about the sabbath day and fasting, I guess it might be worldwide. Anyway thanks dad for everything, I'm glad you guys are having fun back home. See ya!

Elder Wixom

5/25/15 Picture of Tuxtla

So Mexico is awesome.  Really really warm and really humid haha.  The rain just started and they tell me it goes on daily until November.  Yikes, but we're getting used to it and really it only rains in the afternoon.

Cambios are I'm going to stay here in Bosques but my companion is going to Chojolo. It's in the altos of Chiapas.  It's where all of the indigenous people live and it's where they don't send guedos. Tomorrow I'm getting my new companion whose name is, wait for it, Elder Luna! Same name different Elder haha but I'm really excited. Change is always really fun. ​

It sounds like you guys are having an awesome time in Idaho! That's great! And yeah Idaho is really pretty, I miss all the hikes and camp outs. But there's time for that after my mission. Here in Chiapas it's also really fun.

This Sunday we learned a lot about Fasting. Our Stake President came and gave a talk about fasting and then we taught our investigador Victor about fasting during Principles of the Gospel. After that we went and had our lesson about, you guessed it, fasting. The teacher didn't know our investidagor wasn't a member and started asking him about the basics of fasting and it was awesome to see how much he remembered. He and and a little girl named Hna Luz both have baptisms scheduled this Saturday so we're going to keep our fingers crossed that they're preparing. We're going to do our best to visit them daily.

Besides that life here is amazing! Have an awesome week, love you all!

Elder Wixom

 

pic of tuxtla!

 

Happy in Tuxtla 5/18/15

Ayy!

We are doing really good here in Bosque.  This week we talked with the
Bishop and our Lider Misional.  We're redoing our ward mission plan and
are going to focus more on how to spiritually prepare the members of
the ward to teach the gospel.  We're going to introduce it this week in
the consejo and then we're going to talk to all of the quorums about it
this Sunday.  We're hoping that this plan and some of the activities
we're putting together can excite the ward and help them feel the
spirit of missionary work a little bit.  If we can get them to do the
basic things we do to invite the Spirit we will be better able to
teach them the other things they can do to invite people to come unto
Christ.

One of my favorite teaching experiencias is kind of anti climatic. We
were on splits and I was with one of our zone leaders(Elder
Reyesleva).  The Hnas in our district had a woman they were preparing
ofr baptism so I had to do the baptism interview to make sure she was
ready.  We got to her house and she's super friendly and super nice.  We
start talking and she shares with us that she still has doubts about
the Book of Mormon.  We started talking and then my companion felt the
impression that we needed to sing a hymn. So we sang hymn number 61
or Venid a Mi, (I don't remember right now what it's called) .  We felt
the Spirit so strongly in that moment.  We were able to testify of the
veracidad of our message and it was amazing.  She still has questions
and the missionary's are still working with her but in that moment, it
was impossible to deny the Spirit. That's one of my favorite
experiences.

Anyways I love you all and have an amazing week! Thanks for everything!

Quick Letter 5/4/15

I'm sorry to hear about your friend.  Just remember that we spend here we're preparing for the next life and right now you can prepare to teach and love your friend in the life to come.  It's got to be really hard for his family right now but they teach us that at these times in life is when we become humble and more receptive to the spirit.  Their family is looking for comfort right now that can only be found through our Heavenly Father.   But I've got to go, until Sunday! I love you all, have an awesome week!

Elder Wixom

Short but Sweet 4/27/15

 

This week was long but really good.  Our lessons are getting better and the people are opening up to us more.  We're here to invite people to come unto Christ through faith and repentence and as we ask people to repent and then teach them the blessing of faith we see their lives change.  It's so much fun to see the difference in the people we're teaching throughout these last couple weeks we've spent here. 

Anyways thanks for the email and everything, have an amazing week I love you all!

Elder Wixom

Happy Birthday Aaron 4/20/2015

Thank you and thanks for everything! I'm sure I'm going to have an birthday here but I'm going to miss you guys back home! But it sounds like your all doing great! And Jordan is a returned missionary so I'd trust him if I were you, he knows what happens to liars!

So this week was great.  We had our baptism with Hna Fernanda this Saturday.  It was awesome!  Her whole family is less active and have been for some time but we visited them and talked with them and they all managed to show up!  It was amazing to see the support she received from her family and all the members.  She's so great, she stopped drinking coffee and has been praying and reading the Book of Mormon with her sister.  Tonight we're going to have a noche de hogar in her house and we're very excited.

Besides that we've got a few promising investidagores and we're going to do our best to visit cada uno de ellos todos los días esta semana. We're super excited!

Hey well you guys have an excellent week y Les Amo Mucho!  Nos Vemos!

Elder Wixom   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So right now we're working with a couple kids who live in an área se llama vida mejor.  Their names are Jorge and Rodrigo.  We've been visiting them for a while and they're really receptive and are reading and doing all the commitments right now we're just trying to help them to come to church.  They want to but there's a lot of false ideas here about our church so sometimes people are really hestive to attend the church with us.  But we just keep working and just keep praying looking for an opportunity to talk with their parents and maybe share something with them.

The members here are awesome!  They're all super great, they love the missionaries and really super super generous. We get a lot of support here in Bosques.  The food is amazing, I absolutely love it.  I need to find a wife who can cook real Mexican food because wow, it is the best.

I had an interview with the misión pte about two weeks ago and besides that no.  I've got to say I really love pte George, he is so humble and he does so much for everybody here, wow.  Being a misión president is really demanding.

Anyways thanks for everything and I'm excited about my first birthday here!  I do not feel 19 haha but that's life, anyway take care y que tenga excelente dia, nos vemos!

Elder Wixom

 

Hna Fernanda!

This is Alejandro, un jovencito the hnas in our district are teaching i interviewed who also was baptized this saturday

 

 

Working hard 4/13/15

Bueno!

So this week was interesting.  We had intercambios which means we had splits with the zone leaders.  So Elder Diaz came to our area with me and my companion went with our other zone leader Elder Brass to their area.  Elder Diaz taught me a whole lot about the work while he was here and after he left we were able to get 2 brothers to say yes to the invitacion to be baptized and they're progressing really quickly. We're going to have a family home evening with them this Tuesday with their whole family and we're super excited.  We're also teaching a girl who's part of a less active family who lives nearby who's getting baptized this Saturday! (woohoo) I'll be sure to send pictures.  We've been working with this family for a while and they're finally starting to pray again and the kids are coming to church with us, little by little they're becoming more active.  Besides that all is good, I've got another 6 weeks here in Bosques with my companion and we've got our work cut out for us, thanks for everything and have an amazing week everyone, adios!

Elder Wixom

General Conference 4/5/15

Heyyyyyy! ​So this week was great! we worked until Wednesday when I got strep throat. That was no fun :( Theres a rule here that if you get a fever of 38 you have to stay home and I was 39.5 until Saturday.  I did however leave the house Friday morning for a zone conference that we had but besides that no.  And Saturday and Sunday we went to all of the sessions and I didn't understand all of it, but I did understand most of it.  Also the Spanish speaking general authorities are a lot easier to understand then the other authorities. I'm happy though because all the time going stir crazy in our house gave a me a stronger appreciation for the work and the chance we have to serve fulltime missions.  Oh and in that time I managed to find a favorite scripture(woohoo) its Moroni 10:32-33 

But my fever is gone now and my throats getting better so we're going to start working again tonight.  This Sunday after the evening session of general conference we went and visited our lidre misional and while we were there we ran into the brother of the sister who we were teaching in ocosingo (recuerdan?) and we were able to talk with him about God and the Prophets and he accepted the invitacion to be baptized! That so great to here after being stuffed away in the house not being able to teach all week. Anyways we've got another meeting with him and we're going to teach the restauración and we're really excited. 

Anyways I love you all I hope you all have an awesome week and wish Sol an early happy birthday, I love you!

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Wixom

 

​

Hey I'm glad to hear you guys got to visit the family, I bet that was a blast.  I just got your valentine card last and the one for Elder Lopez too haha.  I really like Elder David A. Bednars talk about what it means to be God fearing, really powerful.  I also just got the two books about Joseph Smith and his teachings, they both look really cool but it's going to take forever for me to read through everything.  Little by little though, I love learning about the history of the church, it's all so interesting. Anyway hope you have an awesome week, thanks for all the support!

Con Amor,

Elder Wixom

 

So right now we're living in an area called Las Torres, a little neighborhood but it's next to Patria Nueva, Vida Mejor y Plan Chiapas, all of which are in our area.  My area is all its own ward se llama "Bosques".  The Hermanas in our district are both en Barrio Pimienta and that's also where our church is.  I don't know if it's on the map but we're by La Torre de Chiapas, the only skyscraper in Chiapas. 

Soo the Hna A and her boyfriend N are interesting.  We're still teaching her and she's still really receptive but we can't seem to get ahold of N. We always see him on the street but he never has time to talk with us, right now were just looking for a time when we can talk with them both together about his baptism but we're still waiting.  Something fun is we we're able to visit her younger brother S (17) and he accepted the invitacion to be baptized!  WooHoo!  He works a lot but this next Sunday were going to visit him again and teach the restoration.  The people here are all looking for the truth and I'm just happy to be the person to help them find it!

Anyways I love you both and hope you have an amazing week!

Elder Wixom

My District 3/30/2015

 

Nuestro distrito (yo, elder luna, hna hansen,hna cavallo, hna luis, y hna yorgenson) 

 

 

 

 

Ay truth be told, I've been looking for my favorite scripture for a while now and I just can't seem to make up my mind, I'll find it though and I'll give it to you guys soon I promise, and the photo too I promise.

 

The sisters are really good, they're super hard workers and each of them has a really strong testimony about the gospel. I'm seriously so happy to be in this district this cambio, it's been such a blessing.

Hey I love you dad and I love the family keep looking after them and I can't wait to talk to you guys in May, adios!

Elder Wixom

New Picture 3/23/2015

 

Me and my companion Elder Luna!
​

3/16/15 Loving Tuxtla!

Wow that's great!  I'm glad he's doing good and I'm glad his surgery's already kickin in, that was really fast.  Ay I'm sure Madi did excellent! That's awesome! And that's very cool that the family was able to come down and see it also, I'm sure that was a blast!

So this week was really good, a lot of walking. Right now we're working on being better organized so we're not going back and forth from one area and another but we're getting better.  Todo tranquilo aqui (all quiet here), we've have a lot of success with less active members this week, me and my companion have been sharing 3 Nephi 18 with everyone its been really helping the members understand la importancia de la santa cena (importance of the sacrament).

Today we're going to central so I'll make sure to take a bunch of pictures for next week!  I've said that before but today I'll make sure too, it's just that in reality we've got a bunch to do everyday and there isn't a whole lot of time.

Cool stories:  there isn't much besides this Saturday my companion was bitten by a dog.  We were just walking down the street real calm like and we passed a dog just sleeping under a tree and I think we must've scared it cause it just shot right up and got my companion by the leg.  It let go and started chasing him so kicked it and it took off. My companion is OK, we're just keeping a really good eye on his leg because street dogs can have a lot of different diseases. But right now he's doing really good so were not too worried.

Anyways I've got to go but thanks for the email and the support and it sounds like you're all having fun back home!  Enjoy Canada haha! Adios y te queiro todo!

Elder Wixom

 

 

Yeah I would love to read the Lectures on Faith!  Send it!  But truth be told I'm finding less and less time to read now that we don't have a laundry mat we have to wash everything by hand and that and reports usually eat up most our time.  But Anything from the Doctrine and Covenants would be great, I would love to read! 

My district is awesome! The Hnas are super fun and really hardworkers, truth be told from them me and my companion are learning a ton, this district is definitely foreordained haha.

That's awesome! We've been talking a lot about prophets and church leaders and about how they literally have the exact same tools and resources to find gospel truths as we do. They have the same covenants and same spirit and same everything that we've been blessed with.  So why do we wait until we're visited or we hear a talk from an authority to find the answers to questions that we have.  We literally have the opportunity to know every single thing that we could ever need to know at our fingertips and all it takes is faith and a little studying to get there.  I don't know, it's just always important to remember that.

Anyways it sounds todo tranquilo en gringolandia, saluda los hermonos mios! Adios!

Elder Wixom