Last Week! 9/6/16

Lots of Fun Pics 8/22/16

We went to Chiflon and Tenam Puente with pte George on Friday, here are some photos!

Iguana!

 A sister we were teaching when we were in Comitan finally got baptized on Saturday! :) 

Busy Week 8/15/16

Thanks mom, I really appreciate it. This week was a really busy. Monday and Tuesday were in a leaders conference, Wednesday we went to a small pueblo called san jose obrero, Thursday I went to villa las rosas to do 4 baptismal interviews, Friday we came back and ran around trying to find as many new investigadores as we could and Saturday we prepared for the baptism and we got a new third member of our companionship, elder fernandez from veracruz!  It was a great week!

A friend recently shared with my a scripture I really enjoyed.

Romans 8

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I know this to be true. Christ is what we live for and what we die for. My companiones and I have been seeing so many miracles these last few week sand we owe it all too him. We have a goal to baptize every week and to teach at least 21 lessones with a member present every week. We know the Lord will help us! Cant wait to see you all :') Love you soo much! Hasta Ver! 

Elder WIxom

 My Zone

We had a conference in Tuxtla and for the first time in about a year  I saw my hijo!

Great Week 8/1/16

Part of my letter to president!

I had an amazing experience in my personal studies today. In the morning I listened to a talk by Elder Holland.  I have several and so I can't even remember which one it was but it talked about our chance to improve ourselves and it talked about God and how his source of being happy is his ability to be merciful unto others. It hit me so hard. That is why we live. That's why we're here and that's  why Christ atoned for us. I feel bad because it took me almost two years to really understand why I am here but now I know that I'm here to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man, helping them every step of the way. I then read a little bit of the talk the 4th missionary about how real conversion only comes through a complete surrender of who we are, our desires our thoughts our past and even our future. This is the easiest and ultimately the only fruitful way to live. We have got to lose ourselves to find ourselves. Literally ANYONE can do it and it's the only way to real happiness. 

Carrying on the work 7/25/16

We got cambios this week!! My companion and I are moving to a small town just outside of Comitan called Margaritas, it's a new branch that only has about 2 months but about 60 people attending every week, we are very excited!​ 

I love you Dad, we're working hard as always, can't wait to see you in 6!

Elder Wixom

Service, bricks and bees 7/18/16

we moved a whoooooole bunch of dirt off a families property!

A nice old man taught us how to make clay bricks and then gave us fried bees called sisim!

 we made all these.....

 Super tasty actually, like burnt potato chips, but you put a little salt and limon on there and it's awesome!

us in the cyber right now with a future missionary, he says hi!

Don't have my final travels planes but I should get em soon.

I love it, first day we get home I want to go to the temple and do baptisms for the dead with the whole family, maybe Madi could look for some more family names!

Our areas is a little crazy right now. Just a whole lot to do and not a lot of time to do it. We've been giving service everyday this week. Our investigadores that are progressing are Georgina, Antonio, and they child Josue. Also Ha Amanda. They're all very unique people who have the same quality, they all came to church two sundays aho by themselves. Were focusing 100 por 100 on them and giving service and we love it.

Doing Great! 7-11-16

Our zona this Friday!

We spent all day painting a house on Thursday, it went great.

 We went preaching a few days with a young man named Jhony. He's 9 years old but looks like he's 13 and preaches like he's 60. We love him!

 We found a cool new investigador named Olga who's really sick but a really sweet women. She's going through chemo right now but has talked with the missionaries lots before about 25 years ago. She can't go to church because often times she's bedridden but whenever we visit them there is the sweetest spirit in their home. This is their backyard and a pomegranet tree haha

Una ​Esperanza Chiapanecan

Elder Lara and I are doing great out here, seeing lots of miracles! We love it! I miss you all can't wait to see you this September, hope you have a great week!

Elder Wixom

New Pics 6/27/2016

Elder Lara y Yo

Lots of Pics 6/13/16

Various photos from this transfer 

Todays cambios, Elder Jones is going full time to rodulfo the pueblo weve been blowing up and I'm going to stay here and Elder Lara my new companion should get here tomorrow.​

Building Houses and Testimonies 6/6/16

Brother Hunters a really good man, I still remember when he gave me my patriarchal blessing. My prayers go out to his family.

Sorry I haven't written much, we've been awfully busy here lately. I'll just try and tell you what we've been doing the last few days.

Monday- We went to flor de mayo and helped a man with aids build his house. That's why we didn't have much time to write.  He's an investigator for sometime now and has decided he wants to get baptized on the 18 of June, we're very excited. He's amazing, he's been sick since he was 14 and since then it's been a struggle but he's looking pretty good now and whenever we visit him we offer him blessings. We read a cool talk by I believe David O Mckay in 1973(correct me if I'm wrong). It talked about how he was coming home on a plane and three different times he felt on immense pain in his stomach and three different times he felt hands on his head and looked up and didn't see anything. When he got home his wife sent him to the hospital. The doctor said he had internal bleeding and if he had waited any longer that he would have died. What he taught was that if even the Prophet has need of three different blessing how much greater is our need of the laying on of hands constantly y constantly throughout our lives.  If Joseph had the first vision and then never prayed ever again where would we be now? In order to progress we need constant communication and revelation from The Lord.

Tuesday- We thought we were gonna contact a reference that was 30 min away and we end up taking the combi for 2 and a half hours, get off, see one going the other way and going home. We sure had a pretty ride though and now we need where our next pueblo de oro is.

Wednesday- Went to rodulfo and started building another house for a women named sandra. She wants to be baptized but isn't because her husband lives in the US and doesn't want her to join a church till he gets back. Meanwhile we've been teaching her and cutting their wood and it's been pretty fun.

Thursday- Wednesday all over again haha

Friday- Thursday all over again

Saturday- we helped with the 6 baptisms the zone had and did our weekly planning for next week

Sunday- we planned with the district pres. the mission devocional well have the 26 and taught a childrens choir to sing army of helaman, it was pretty fun.

 It sure is stressful sometimes out here but were getting by and were teaching repentance and baptizing converts. So that was my week, I love you guys! Cuidese mucho,Elder Wixom

Great Week 5/24/2016

Thanks mom! I'm excited to start school but trying not to think about it too much, I'm glad you and dad have time to help me! We've been reaaaal busy lately. Yesterday we spent all day in flor de mayo picking corn with some less active members and investigatores. It was awesome! We cut a whole boatload of wood afterwords and picked a whole bunch of mangos. It was pretty fun. Their members there give so much to us so we decided to give back to them some more and that's why a penas we're writing back today. We've got two investiugadores planning to be baptized this saturday, leonor y limbano. limbano is a old man who is semi paralyzied on the left side of his body. Everytime we visit he does more and more excercies and just within the last month we've seen him progressing a whole lot. He's super excited to get baptized and has given up cafe and beer and many other things to be worthy. Leonor is a woman who lived in the states for about few years and went to our church while she was there. She's been through a lot of hard things lately and has seen a lot of problems with her family so as we taught her the restoration and the plan of salvacion my companion felt the impression to invite her to baptism this coming saturday and she broke down crying saying yes. It was amazing to see that kind of faith in someone. This church is soo true. Anyways I love you all, until next week!

Elder Wixom

Nice Week 5/3/16

Yep Rodulfos getting huge, we're really excited. Jose Adan just recieved the melquedec priesthood this Sunday so we might have a small branch by the end of May, who knows. Either way the work is growing out there and we're hoping that President will send one of us out there full time to really get thing moving.

I'm happy you're all doing good, I'm doing fine here! Elder Jones and I will be together another cambio so that's really fun! We're doing work out here! Have a great week!

Elder Wixom

Well we;re going to baptize a couple who's getting baptized this week and a few people the next week. On Pdays we spend all of our time doing informes and buying things. There's not really a lot of time to do anything. Thanks for the book, I might get it this transfer if I'm lucky. That sucks about Hna Tolson, she's a great women and makes really good cookies. I hope she gets better soon.

Well thanks for everything dad, have a great week!

Elder Wixom

Happy 20th Birthday! 4/25/16

Thanks Mom! I got your package yesterday and I loved it! I'm wearing the tie right now haha, although it might be the first and last time ;)

I can't wait to talk to you guys in May! I've been thinkin' a little bit about work school and I must just want to be a dentist afterfall. I want to know what you gusy think about that and what you would recommend I did for school. I'm not really sure yet but I've been praying a lot and for know that seems to feel the best.

Oh my companion. He is thee best. I love him. His name is Joesph Jones from Chijuajua Mexico. His moms a gringa and his Dads Hispanic. He grew up speaking only english in his home and learned spanish at highschool. Hes a farm boy in and out. His dad own a few thousand acres growing chiles peaches and all sorts of things. Hes always talking about his fun elk or mountain lion experiencias but still sleeps with a superman onsie everynight XD. 

We're really working hard to get a house of prayer going in Rodulfo. We had an attendance of 24 this week and weve got 8 baptisms out there planned for this month. Theres only one member family out there but they are golden, they come with us everytime we got out there 3-4 times a week and even if its not much they feed us whatever they can. Were talking with president about getting 2 missionarys fulltime out there so we dont have to make the two hour trip there and back everytime we go.

I didn't get to goto the baptism.. but I heard it was great, Her parents aren't members and actually her mom didn't know she had been going to church for 9 months before one day she went with her daughter. All the members were shocked to see her mom there and when her mom found out she told her daughter she couldnt get baptized till she was 18 for lying to her. Well she turned 18 the 23 so that's when she got baptized, it was great. Her mom came and was really supportive, we think were going to visit her this week and see if shes opened her heart enough to hear our message.

I love you guys so much! I hope you have the best week every! 

Elder Wixom

No it's actually pretty much the same , the food you eat at parties is just a lot spicier here haha. But I'm starting to not like my food if the didn't cook it with chile. I never that that day would come.

Zone leading stressful. I do not like it. But it does have its perks. You can really get to know and help the people in your zone that way. I've usually only work in my area four days a week just cause were always on divisions.​ 

The areas pretty, I know there's tons of ruins but I don't know much about them. I do know I'd like to see them some day in the future. We don't really have time right now but I know there's several and they're supposed to be really pretty.

Well Dad, Do you have any cool church history books? Anything about Joseph Smith or Brigham Young.  Or any other cool doctrine book? I'd like to know more about where we come from as a church. I don't know if you could send any reading material the next couple months, I've found now that were getting up at 5 we've got extra time at night and I'd like to use it studying more.

Thanks dad. oh and thank mom for the pillowcase, I thought it was really sweet! I hope you have a great week!

Elder Wixom

4/18/16 Great Week

Yeah we've been really busy like normal! This week we baptized a young women named Yaneth. Her younger brother (Carlos) had been baptized a couple years ago but when they moved from Cancun they stopped going to church. We'd found them and since the beginning they had desires to start going to church again. They're awesome. Being a zone leader is stressful,  I don't really like it haha, you have a lot of things to do and it seems like you're always traveling visiting other people. It makes you feel really sorry for all the church leaders who are in a car or plane all the time. The cool thing is you get to go on divisiones a lot and learn from everybody.

That's awesome, I can't wait to go back to the temple again when I get home, we should start going together as a family. How is Sol doing with the endowment? I hope is ok, I pray for him and all of you.

We didn't have any earthquakes but yesterday afternoon it started hailing a ton. I never would have guessed with how much calor there was in the morning. They came down like little marbles and they really hurt actually.

My companion and I having been going to the gym in the mornings and it's been killing us. We trying to do everything to work of this mexican food haha, its so good. 

Well I hope you guys have an awesome week!

Love,

Elder Wixom 

Church in new area 4/11/16

Happy Birthday Sol! Sounds like you guys had a lot of fun! When I come back we'll have to go up to Lava Hot Springs too, that sounds really fun!

Not yet mom but I'm sure it's here close, thank you!

So what's dad going to start doing? He always works really hard, we have the best Dad.

How's Katie and Madi and Justin doing in school? Working real hard? I hope so. To be able to study is a priviledge that a lot of people don't have. We need to make the most of it. 

How are you Mom, how is teaching in Sunday school, is it everything you wanted and more? I hope so!

My companion and I are working really hard. Were visiting a lot of small pueblos and seeing a lot of success. We started having small church services in Rodulfo Figaroa and 21 people came. We're going to be going there about 3 times a week now. There are a lot of escogidos there.

The Lord loves you, I love you and I hope you have a great week!

Elder Wixom

Yeah Dad we're working hard. We should be baptizing a few people this week, Yanet and Yanet haha.  The people here are incredible. I love them and don't ever want to leave. I've felt so weak and incapable but it's helped me grow to depend on the Savior. There's nothing I'd rather be doing. However I am excited for when I'll have more time to study family and church history more thoroughly. I've never felt such a strong dependence on our ancestors before. You'll have to teach more about family history work when I come home. It's really hard to inspire other people to participate in the work. I've noticed my biggest challenge in the mission is getting other members and missionaries to more fully devote themselves to the work of the Lord. I pray that you guys back home find time to share what you know with your friends and invite them to church with you. There's no way to feel closer to Christ then to work with him side by side in his vineyard. I love our Lord. He's always been there for me. He suffered for each and every one of us and knows what trials and temptations we face and is willing to extend his hand always. He lightens our burden everyday and gives us great reason to be happy.  Only through Him will we be saved. Thanks for supporting me and writing me and for preparing me to serve a mission. There's nowhere else the Lord would have me be. I know it's true and I share it with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

 

Elder Wixom

Very Busy 4/4/16

Ay today we've got to go to a meeting in Tuxtla so we're super pressed for time. A man we've been pretty busy here in Comitan but this place is beautiful. I love it. My companion is the best and I love him to death. He's so funny, he always goes to bed in a superman onsie jeje. There's lots of people here and not enough time to visit. I hope I'll have more time to write you all next week! Just know I love you all so much!

Elder Wixom

P-Day Adventures 3/28/16

Mom and family I love you guys! We don't have much time but I love you all and I'm doing really well here! Have an awesome semana,

Elder Wixom

We went to Montebello with Pte George today and a bunch of ruins and lakes, I've got a few pictures! It was very pretty!

New Area 3/22/16

Here it is hot. Yesterday it was hot. Tomorrow, well actually  I just got cambios again today. I'm getting transfered​ to a place called Comitan and they say it actually gets cool there sometimes so I'm pretty excited. I'm going to be a zone leader with Elder Jones. I dont know what I feel about that, I'm really nervous actually. That's a ton of responsibilidad. I prayed to know if it's right and I felt God tell me so and that I just need to take it a day at a time. I love our Heavenly Father, he loves us so much.

Wow Dad thats great! When I come back will have to go the the gym a bunch. Here is way to hot to use weight machines. Enjoy them while you can.

Yeah I mean if you ever wanted to visit Georgia thats be awesome! Or we could go to Nauvoo again. I don't know but a trip like that sounds really fun to me.

Tell Madi I'm super proud of her. Debate will help her in a lot of ways. It was probably the most fun I had in high school. You should encourage her to consider learning spanish. I'd love to teach her and it would be fun to speak together.

Teaching pool well, as soon as we find an amazing family that keeps commitments and wants to get baptized I'm getting transfered. Thats ok, I know they're in good hands with Elder Chavez.

I love you dad! 

Elder Chavez(the cubano) Elder Laurel (the veracruzano) and Hno Eduardo with his mom and sister
​

3/14/16

WOW, that's so awesome! I wish I could of been there, I'd love to contribute to such a noble cause. I'm sure that was a blast for everyone. That must be so fun teaching Justin and his class!  But I can't believe he's going to be turning twelve. He's going to have the Aaronic Priesthood in about a year. I cannot believe that. Wow everyone's getting old.

I love you guys a bunch, this week we had some some pretty cool things happen. Tuesday my companion got very sick while we were eating with a member and we had to get back home. We started walking when a combi rushed by and it took us a few seconds to realize that the song it was blasting was the Battle Hym of the Republic by a spanish Choir. We flagged it down and he gave a ride free to our house. The Lord is always looking out for us. I love my God.

Anyways I love you guys a whole bunch, I think about you and pray about you and my grandparents alot. Enjoy this week and remember always to give thanks unto the Lord for the blessings he gives you! En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.

Elder Wixom

Love this boy! 3/7/16

Hey Family!

 I´m glad Justin had a great time, I can't wait to see you guys when I get back. Yesterday at church Hno Eduardo was teaching us about the importance of families and I couldn't help but keep thinking about you guys. Its been on my mind a lot. I've just been thinking about how I have the best parents who´ve done so much for me and have always been an amazing example to me. And how lucky I am to be Sols younger brother and to be able to see and feel his love and patience growing up with all kinds of challenges that I believe most couldn't bare. And how much I love Katie and her good example and her kindness and patience even when I wasn't all too kind or patient. And Madi for putting up with me harassing her and he friends haha. And Justin for always being the man and just a really good friend. Ah I just love you all so much it's hard to express really.  I just want to make sure you know that. I feel bad because I feel like I mistreated you guys alot growing up and I'm sorry. I'm going to make it all up to you guys when I get home. Until that day comes  I'm going to do all I can to make it up to the Lord. I'm going to make Him and all of you so proud. I just want you all to know that I love you, that I think about you, that I pray for you and that this is the time for us to prepare to live forever as a family  and thanks to our Savior Jesus Christ we can do that. I love Our Redeemer and I love our God. I share these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Wixom

No rain yet 2/29/16

No, it still hasn't started raining yet. The middle of April is when it starts raining constantly and until then there might just be small showers. Don't worry it's coming though. They say when it's rain season all of the streets in our area flow with 2 to 3 feet of water.  Needless to say my companion and I are pretty excited, We've found some pretty decent boots now we just need to find insoles that match our feet.

That's such a good idea about each family having their individual mission plans. We might talk to Bishop Ibarra about that and see what he thinks. The Bishop here is such a nice man. Hes about 65 years old and has been a member for 18 years now. He's an ex professional soccer player and an ex I dont remember the word, maker of bread? panadero in spanish. With his help we started doing sports night every Friday with the youth last week and we had an awesome turnout of about 40-45 people and a lot of them were nonmembers. We're going to be doing that every week and movie night every other week to try and increase the unity here in the barrio and help our investigadores find more friends in the church. So far its been going great!

I love you guys! I'm sure dad has a Preach My Gospel.  Chapter 9 has a lot of good ideas for missionary work. You might find somethings the family can do in there. Remember, D&C chapter 4, if you have desires to serve god you are called to the work. Have an amazing week!

Elder Wixom

Doing well 2/22/16

Saludos de la tierra juacalero​!

Soo my companion and I are doing really good! It has been really really hot but we've been looking and found 3 part member familias that haven't been to church in a while. We're still fairly new to this area so right now we're praying and trying to determine what it is they need in order to more fully come unto Christ. We're going to to a ward sports night Friday and inviting everyone to come play volleyball at the church. All the Church group leaders are very excited, we're just trying to excite the members to bring their friends. The key with missionary work is there always needs to be a member present. It is very dificult to study and apply the teachings of Christ by yourself. If you ever see the missionaries at church or in the street ask them who they'd like you to visit with them or offer to take them to your friends house. Like Derek said in his letter this work is by everyone for everyone.

Here's one of the mosquito nets my companion and I use at night, we sleep like princeses!

 Anyways Tapachula Izapa is amazing, here's a photo of our zone.

This Wednesday we had a zone activity out in a little town in the mountains called Cacauhtan. It was super pretty and we got to see a bunch of really beautiful waterfalls with the President George. I'll send you some more photos.

This week in church I was asked to give a talk about Prayer and its been on my mind for a while now. I really have gained a testimony of prayer. I know God hears our prayers if we only just learn to listen. I know he loves us. I know when he asks us to pray always (2 Nephi 31:8-9, D&C 6:36, Alma 34) he really means that we pray always. That we let our thoughts become prayers and that we address our Heavenly Father always. I know as we do so we are blessed. I love the Lord and have felt His love and protection in return. In the name of Jesucristo, amen.