March 7

Hey guys! How is everything going? The first week in the MTC was Awesome! I forgot to bring my journal up to the computers but that is okay I kind of remember how I have felt this week, and sorry if I spell anything wrong! So this week I have noticed so many things about myself that I can improve on. Such as judging others, being more accepting, taking advice from my leaders, and forgiving others quickly! I have really tried my hardest to work on these things.

Okay, so I think you might want to know about my companion, His name is Elder Goodwin. He is from Ogden, Utah! He is a great guy. I'll have to send you some pictures of him. Also THIS IS HARD! haha not too bad but I can feel the lord stretching me in every direction possible. The second day I was made district leader, and with this calling I preside at meetings with my district present. So one particular time we were with our 1st counselor Brother Call, and I opened up the meeting by saying " okay guys" and Brother Call interrupted me after that and said no Elder hicks You don't call them guys they are Elders and Hermanas... ah and after that without thinking I said okay I’m sorry "you guys" I won't do it again. And then the whole district laughed at me and I didn’t even realize I said it again... The hardest thing is everybody expects you to be a missionary right from the go! Whenever you say something wrong or don't button up your suit when you stand up, or you put your hands in your pocket you get called out by a leader. They want us to be perfect missionaries from the go. But, I realized they are only so tough because they love us. They know we will get blessing if we do what is asked by the lord. I am always comforted when I think about the apostles. The apostles were fishermen!  Right when the lord said follow me, they followed him, and the lord never treated them like fisherman again! He treated them like apostles. I bet it was a struggle for them. They were the only ones. I am striving for that faith each and every day.

Yesterday we watched a video of a lady on the series of the district getting baptized, and after we watched that our teacher asked us what did we learn from that video. No one responded, and he told us to bow are heads and close our eyes. While we closed our eyes he said " elders and Hermanas focus on listening to the lord while I recite the missionary purpose, so he recited it in English, Invite others to Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost and enduring to the end." it was so powerful and After that Elder Clawson raised his hand and said "I envision us holding the savior hand, and holding the investigators hand, and bringing those hands together and then letting the savior walk with the investigator together. That is our purpose! I never really understood that we brought other to Christ... I always thought we brought them to the church or to the Book of Mormon, But we don't! My purpose is to represent Christ! And to bring others to him.

Also on the second day me and Elder Anglade *(a guy who is in our district) lost our keys... No beuno!  But I had a thought to get on our knees and pray, so as a district we got on our knees and said a prayer after looking for a while in our room. After we said amen we looked for another 30 seconds and right at the same time my companion found my key and Elder Anglade's companion found his key. It was such a miracle. My faith has increased so much since I have been here and I Know that the lord loves me and is thinking of me. And thanks for your prayers.

Also Spanish is coming along great. We have taught 4 lessons and our investigator is getting baptized on the 16th. Oh and these lessons were in Spanish! Ahh I learned that the lessons have nothing to do with Spanish but they have everything to do with the spirit and bearing your testimony! Elder Bednar said in a talk I just heard, that whenever he went to a new ward he would ask the new converts why they kept inviting the missionaries over to their house, was it because of what they said did they have amazing speech and amazing proof to there claim? And each time the investigator would respond they would say something along the lines of... The missionaries could barely speak our language and they would bounce around when they would teach the lessons from this topic to another topic... and then we would ask "why did you keep inviting them over" and they would say " because of how we felt" wow! I need to keep the spirit with me always! haha I'm trying so hard to continue to grow and to continue to stretch myself. Please tell me how Makenna's surgery goes and please tell me how Brennan is! I will write you guys later today and I love you so much! How is everything in the home??? Everything is great here. I think I will cry! haha it is not too hard here. The hardest part is already over! Haha love you mom and dad! Couldn’t have done all this without you!!!

Love your Elder!,

Elder Troy Hicks!

Love you guys!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. love you!