March 31

Dear Friends,

This week has been so great, we have been working so hard with a family and we are trying so hard to bring souls to Christ!

I don´t have a lot of time to write but i want to send my Love to all of you. Also in the pictuers it myight look like i have gained weight.. but the camara always puts on 10 lbs. ha!) also the people here make you eat their food... haha just kidding.

This week has been so great in the belgrano. We have started teaching a family from Bolivia. We started visitng a recent converts home since the first week that we have been here and everytime we visit them we always try to invite her sister to come in during the visit and also we try to invite the husband or i shold say boyfriend of hers also to come into the visit to listen to a littl ebit of our message. So the other day they came into our vist and we asked both of them to go to church. and they said they would go! so we went to church with them. and it turns out that the man( his name is Jaime) and the woman( viviana) Loved Church.

After They went we visited their home( right next to them lives their sister and her friend named David, he is the one in the picture) and we started to teach them and we also invited mairsabel to come in and participate in the lesson. Once we were all seated, We asked hermano David if he could share his testimony (he is a member) and he started sharing his tesitmony with us about the book of mormon and he started to cry... in the beginging he was so happy because he could see that everyone around him was coming closer to the church and the gospel of Christ. Elder Barakat first started to visit them about 2 months back and David always wanted that Jaime and Marisabel and Viviana could all be present for the lesson s with them and now his dream was coming true! i felt the spirit so strong with them, they are such a great family. Yesterday Jaim also diecieded to take a picture with us and to put on his Facebook While they were taking the picutre i decided to put in the picture THE BOOK OF MORMON! hah so when he puts it on facebookeveryone can see the real reason why he is so happy! for the gospel of JEsus Christ!

I love the mission so much! I don´t think i have ever been so happy in my whole life like i was yesterday to see the change in this family like they changed yesterday. I love this gospel and I know ANYONE can change for the better in this gospel.

Love you all,

Elder Hicks

Mom, Real quick! 

this week i have learned so much. i have learned that the less you think about yourself the happier you are, also i learned that if we always stick to the basics of the gospel we are going to know how to share it with other people better. for example, Pray scripture study and going to church. If we always share about that the people are always going to remember it!! 

Today in p-day we study in the morning until 10 30 and then we start writing and then we buy some stuff and usually we try to do something fun like play soccer. Today we are going to visit some japenese gardens with our zone!! we are so excited! and then at 6 we start preaching agian so we can see all of our investigators... ANd then we come home at 9 and then we plan until 9 30, and then at 9 30 my district calls me and then i call the zone leaders. then i change my clothes and i say my preayers and write in my journal, and then we sleep at 10 30. Oh and during the mission i have only missed a couple day of writing in my journal! i love being obedient! the most important thing i think i have learned during my mission is that the spirit does not tell us everything we also need to use our own reason to be the best servants of God we can be!

Mom i also love you so much and i think about you often! more than you know!

March 24

Dear Loved Ones,

        This week has been so great! we are working so hard with the ward! today we had an activity with them in the church and we invited a man named Salvador to come to the activty with us and to meet some members in the ward. Yesterday he went to church with us and we have been so excited to work with him. 

        Also yesterday i gave a testimony in church and i was able to invite all the members to do the missionary work. I talked about how much Joy we will feel if we are involved in the missionary work. The mission leader gave us an idea to tell the members to do that. Also the sister missionaries in our ward made invitations for the members and passed them out to the members to invite them to continue with missionary work in the area. I know that small and simple things lead to big things and even to the salvation of many souls!! I love this ward so much. It is so fun to serve here.

This ward is so great and i am so glad i can serve. 

Something to remember:

I love you all so much!! Keep smiling and God will always answer your prayers!

Mar 17

Wow this week has been so great! I love preaching the gospel here in Belgrano. It really is amazing to live here and to be able to live in a bigger city. When I first got here I thought that the people would be different but yet again it was confirmed to me that every person has the same necesidad: the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Something funny is that we have talked English about every day here! So many people speak English here in the city and they are very smart people. 

Dad I would love to answer your questions!

1. My new companion is such a great Elder! He has so much love for the people and he is teaching me so much. As a trainer, something that is important that we do is teach the missionary that we are training the why. We teach them and tell them why we do the things we do and as a trainer it is of great importance to set him an example in everything. Obedience, how we teach, whom would we teach. What we should do. 

What is good, is that Elder Guerra has been out 6 weeks and Elder Barakat my old companion was training him before. Also each morning we study for an hour more out of the greatest guide ever... PREACH MY GOSPEL! I really love this guide; I know it came from God.

2. Everything that I have is holding up great, I will be able to start using my sleeping bag again when May comes it is still a little hot here, Also I will have to send you pictures next week to show you how my apartment is... I didn’t take any pictures of my apartment

3. The ward is amazing; it is the most established ward I have been in since I came to Argentina. We have many leaders in our ward, Elder Spellino, Elder Viñas (I think they are from the first group of the 70. Also there are a couple people here who are in the Ward who are working for the church who are very smart. The other day we ate with a member who is from Chile, and we had to go up 18 floors to eat with him. And then he let us see his view from his patio and we could see part of Uruguay across a river!  This week we had ward council and it went so great, we still have not had an opportunity to meet with our ward mission leader but we are going to meet with him this Thursday! As a ward they have a list of people who usually go to the church, and each week if someone does not come they organize visits and they go and visit the people that did not come to the church. Also they have an activity this coming up Monday to go on a picnic and they want to invite us to come, if we bring investigators! 

4.Coming to a new area is great, I only have to learn a lot of things, in a little time, and it is really great how the lord has helped me so much. Right now as a district leader I am a district leader of pure Sister missionaries! That means I have to work even harder... because if I don’t they are going to start doing better than me... let me tell you sister missionaries are the best!! 

5. Also I did eat with the members this week and it went so great, Here in Belgrano we are not going to go hungry, we are eating a lot of good food also. Please keep praying for miracles! It is so important the work of the Lord in this work, without him we are nothing; I love you all so much. Please follow the spirit in everything you do. 

I love you so much! Make sure you tell Makenna hi!

Please tell Makenna that I love her so much and that no matter how far apart we are we will always be an eternal family. 

Love,

Elder Troy Hicks

some photos from the last week in Parque Avellaneda

 Elder pino-from chile elder miles from my district

On top of our last pension in Parque Avellaneda

papi me and son

In Belgrano

Belgrano/Elder Guerra

Dear Family,

This week has literally been so great. The week went by way to fast and my time with Elder Rodriguez has ended... I am really so sad. I really loved him so much. Practically my brother from Panama. Also I have been sent to Belgrano to Finish the training of an Elder named Elder Guerra. Elder Barakat was training him and he became zone leader so president sent me to start training him in Belgrano. He is such a great Elder And is from Oregon. I know we are going to have success. I am only a little sad for leaving Parque ave, this week Mildred and Carlos were going to get married and also our friend Jesus was going to be baptized. But really i am so ready to start working with Elder Guerra in this ward. It is such a great ward and i already love the people here. we just finished eating lunch with a counselor of the ward, and they already have a plan to have a campout in Pilar as a ward! I am so exicted to be working with them, i hope when i leave this ward will be able to have more experiences with the missionaries and we will be able to change it to work more with us as missionaries! 

I had my interview with president this week and also with his wife. I have made a promise that i will do all i can do to help this family to enter into the kingdom of God, i invite you also to follow through with your promises and your covenants and to have faith and hope that God will never do anything that is against the PLAN OF HAPPINESS. I know that we are a sealed family and that has much power. I love you all so much. More than you know. So so much i love you!!! see you soon and remember to always smile!!

Love,

ELder Hicks

I have to send pictures next week.. i took alot of pictures but i forgot my usb card.... sorry.. i love you all so oh also i wanted to tell you that right now i am in the capital of buenos aires. I f you look up Belgrano where i am you will see a lot of buildings... pretty cool right?

Love you so much

I wanted to write a little bit more about how this week went... 

About Jesus, he is a bolivian that lives with a member family named the Huanca Family. They all work in their home and they sew all day!!! From / in the moring until 10 at night ever day besides saturday and SUnday they sew and sew and sew.. it really surprises me. But this week we are teaching Jesus and when we pass by the house he stops sewing for a little bit to be able to listen to our message. This week he went to the church by himself and he bought a shirt and a tie to continue going. 

Also this week With Elder Rodriguez... i am going to miss him so much. He really was like a brother to me and i really loved him. He was such a hard worker. 

Also with carlos and Mildred their marriage is set and they are going to be married this thursday and he will be baptized on sunday. I am going ot ask Elder Rodriguez how it goes. 

Also this week we went to a farewell of the missionaries with a part member family named the family villamil.. i think i have told you about them before, sister villamil is a member and brother David villamil is not a member. well they went with us and while we were going to she told us that they were going ot get married and all we have to do is help hermano david pray about our message i am so excited for them...

Also this week we went to the home of Hermana Rosa... she was going to get baptized but she didnt come to church one sunday. so we went to her home and while we were there her son in law came and we started talking to him and while we were talking it turned out that he has read the book of mormon until 2 nephi 16!!! We gave a book of mormon about 3 weeks back and he kept reading it because he found peace as he was reading it.! I am so excited for them. 

Talking about all this success in Parque Ave makes me so happy! i hope we can do the same here in Belgrano!!! 

Love you so much!
ELder Hicks

Mar 3

Dear family,

Wow i can't believe how fast the misson is going. It seems just like yesterday I was in the MTC. 

This week has been so great. 

This week we were able to have a meeting with one of the seventies his name is Elder Evans. He is so great. He taught us so much. I would like to share somethings with you that we learned.

Also i went on a exchange with Elder Engebretsen, he was in the MTC with me and right now is my Zone Leader.

But first of all i want to answer your questions

1.It is something the people use here to drink something called Yerba. It is like tea. 

2.Also haha a pension is an apartment... ha sorry i am trying my hardest to use only english words in my e-mails sometimes, i just don´t remeber them...

3. Also for our P-days, we usually try to clean and today we are going to play basket ball!!! oh ya! 

4. This week we have taught well and we are talking with so many people and we are trying to help our ward. In 2 weeks we are going ot help baptize a man from the picture below. His name is Carlos and his wife is his spouse. We are so excited. it is kind of like you, dad and mom. They are getting married on the 13th and then he is getting baptized on the 16!

Dad, you mentioned in your letter that prayer is a way to align our will with that of the will of god. in Alma 29:1
 I ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their ^adesire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I knowthat he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their ^bwills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction.

This scripture says that according to our desires god is going to give us an opportunity to fulfill with our desires.

SO if our desires our to serve god we will have that and if our desires our to do something else, God will grant us an opportuinty to prove it.. whether it be for our destruction or for our good. It really makes me think... HOw important it is to have the same desires of God.

I invite you all to keep your smiles and to love God with all your mith mind and Heart!! and to read the family a proclamation to the world together.
Also this week i was able  to go on exchanges with Elder Engebretsen. WOw it was so fun. we worked so hard and i love them so much. i will have to take a picture with him and i will send it to you next week... also this is the last week of this transfer so i will write you next Tuesday.

I love you all so much,

Elder Hicks!

Feb 24

Dear Family, I want to start by answering the questions that you have for me.

How much money do you get each month to spend?

 We recieve about 156 dollars each month, and it lasts us all the month. something i want to do this last year of my mission is to begin to buy things that our interesting from Argentina.. i don´t know maybe a mate.. or a jersey... something that will help me remember this place and this people forever!

What are your responsibilities as a DL?

 As a district leader I do anything and everything that i can to help my district to be better leaders, and to be better missionaries and to have more happiness and success in their missions. What i do is send them messages during the day and i also have to report to the Zone leaders how my district is doing. Every night i call my district and i talk to them about how their day went and what they can do better tomorrow. It really is super fun and exciting to be able to talk to my district each day and to get them excited for the coming day. im not going to lie somedays it is difficult. because sometimes i want to be able to eat in the night times. but i need to remember i need to forget myself and think about others!  

What is a typical day schedule like for you?

 Typically, for my day we start and study and then we leave to pension at 11. then we preach with a member and we go to some appointments that we have scheduled for that day. and then around 1 o colock we have lunch with the members( thay always give us so much food. haha they are always asking ¨do you want more food¨) and after that we preach with a member until 9 o colock at night. at 9 we plan until 9 30 usually we finish planinng late at around 9 40 and then i call my district while elder Rodriguez is writing in the area book, and i call the zone leaders to report on my district is doing and by then it is already 10 30 so i jump into bed, after i brush my teeth of course, and i go to sleep=)

How are your glasses holding up?

 would you send me some new lenses.. my glasses that i have right now are really scratched. 

What is the Buenos Aires Temple like?  (I loved the pictures you sent)

 The temple is so beautiful. it was like being in the house of God. the celestial room is on the end of the temple and has two huge windows that bring in the light and make the room seem like heaven.

How are your investigators doing?

We had 11 investigators in church this week. It liteally was so great, my companion Elder Rodriguez is always talking to so much to people and inviting them to go the church and teaching them the doctrine, i am so greatful for him as my companion. 

Right now we are working with the family of the man that came to the church with us last week and they are such a big family! we are trying to help them to keep going to the church and they are going to be baptized this weekend. i will take pictures and i will tell you how it goes this week!

I love you all so much 

i don´t have much more time to write but i will write better next week!

also i want to remind you, this week for the temple ceremony remember that if you invite someone you are going to feel the blessings of the lord. 

Something that helps me to invite people to christ and to learn more about the church is the introduction of the Book of Mormon,
We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)
After reading this i ask ¨what are 3 things we need ot do to gain a testimony of this gospel?
Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah.
Then i ask what are 3 things you are going to learn if you pray and gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon
Once you read this it is clear what the people need to do to have a testimony of the gospel of Christ. I love you all so much
I invite you to apply this practice in family home evening, i know it will help you help others come unto christ!
Pray for missionary experiences! and you will be blessed with more happiness and peace in your life !
Love, Elder Troy Hicks

            oh and dad noquis is potatoes with flour and with a tomato sauce           

Feb 17

Dear Family,

 This week has been great and also it has such a great time! I love the mission and i don´t feel any stress so don't worry about me I know everything will work out in its given time.

Well i sent a couple pictures of us in water because the bottom floor of our hotel flooded. Also, A picture of us at the Temple. And another picture of us at a home of a member!) Eating something called noguis, wow so delicious... ja

And talking about Makenna´s birthday, all I can say is wow she sure is a lucky girl. My week has been great, With my district we are doing so great, and we are trying to work so hard!

Yesterday in church after looking for our investigators in the morning and passing by each one of their houses we had noone come to church... me and my companion were so devastaded and we did not no what to do... it felt like a whole week of work wasted... but during the sacrament meeting an investagtor showed up named vicente! I know hte Lord is part of this work as long as we are obedient and our true desire is to help other sould come unto Christ! I feellike i hav never wanted something more than I want that other people can come unto Christ and can reallly be converted to him and his gospel! I love the mission so much.

Love,

Elder Hicks