Feb 10

Dear Famliy and friends,

Wow, I love the mission so much and i know our Lord lives and that he sacrificed everything for us. 

Wow this week has been so great, we went to the temple, ran in the rain, i was able to do missionary splits with my papi, elder barragan! also i did splits with an ELder In my disrict elder berrio from colombia!

Today we went to the temple, i don´t think i have ever felt the spirit so strong in my life! I have pictures ill try to send them to you after i send this email. As a zone we have been trying really hard to focus on how we can work more effectivly with the leaders of our ward so we can have more success as missionaries and so we can have more baptisms that stay in the church forever! and that is always with the help of the faithful members! So we have been praying a lot for the help of the Lord to reveal to us what we have to do! As i went to the temple i was trying to focus on what god wants me to do. And he responded to my prayer, as i was in teh temple i felt strongly that i need to focus much more on putting goals with the lord and also i need to focus a lot more on helping my district and other missionaries to have success! it was so great!

I know that the lord responds to our prayers and he helps us recieve personal revelation. 

Also this week it rained so much! We live in a apartment tower and the bottom floor of the apartment flooded with water up to our knees, we had to take off our shoes and walk thorugh the water for a couple of blocks and when we reached dry ground a man with his truck helped us cross the other places that were flooded. 

The missionary splits that we did this week were so great and have helped me so much. First i did splits with elder berrio. he is from colombia and is such a great elder. Also i went on missionary splits with Elder Barragan! and it was so much different to teach with him now then what it was like to teach with him about 8 months ago. now i am a lot more confident and willing to talk. ha he helped me become better and to feel a little bit more comfortable as a district leader! i love him so much he was and is such a great frend that i will always have.

about you all!:

I can´t believe that makenna is going on dates! and the pictures of her look so great! and also garrett looks pretty good also, i am so glad that he has treated her with such respect. i hope there was no kiss involved!)

also Mom i am so greatful that you are participating so much in the temple work, you are such an example to me.

dad, i really hope you can start feeling better and that you can keep enjoying life, who know maybe this migraine is a sign that you need to start sloeing down in life.

Brennan, I love you so much and i hope your work is going great too! im still not too sure what you are involved in but whatever it is i am here to support you! love you so much and i always will.

makenna,

I never wanted to be the protective type of brother that makes sure no boy goes out wiht you. but i think when i return from my mission that is exactly what i am going to do... no just kidding i am so glad you are happy and that garrett you treated you well during the date! Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK. 

ON YOUR brithday i am going to be thinking and praying for you!

Love,

YOur son and brother and friend

Elder Troy Hicks

P.S.

I want to share something with you about what i learned about the patience that has helped me out alot! 

The last transfer i felt very anxious about everything and i felt very stressed for about everything that was going on in our area, but i learned a very special lesson, one day we were preparing a baptism and we had to run to another ward to get the baptismal clothing because we were not able to get it from our own ward. as i was running around looking for baptismal clothing i was not able to listen to the sweet whispers of the spirit and the people around me could tell that i was not handling the situation in a manner that was acceptable. As i was feeling this stress and impatience and as i was running around at the same time one of the counselors of the ward told me¨be calm¨.....

I want to testify to you that we need to be calm in this life and we need to look and pay attention to every moment that is passin gus by. Us as humans have many plans and we want everything to be perfect... but we are not perfect and we are not going ot have it our way. We should pay attention to the little things and if we can not feel the sweet spirit of the lord we should change how we are living so we will be able ot feel his sweet spirit. And sometimes we need to slow down and take a breath and look at the small blessings that we alll have from the lord.

Sometimes we might feel like peter and the aposteles felt when they were in their boat in the middle of a storm
 24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.

I know that the lord can bring us peace in our lives and if we feel stress go to him... If he can change the weather i know he can change our lives.

I love you all so much and i am so glad we are an eternal family! 

More love,

elder Troy Hicks