1 month out! Way too fast!

This month has felt like the slowest month of my life as well as the fastest i have no idea how to explain that except by saying "with a great sense of purpose comes an altered sense of time!" my purpose is awesome and this past month has flown by! i love, and i mean love getting letters! so this week as a zone we set a goal to be exactly obedient. i am zone leader right now and we went to each district in our zone and we talked to them about the rules of quiet time and the time to be in bed! and the past 2 nights we were all in our rooms with our doors closed at 10 15 and also everybody was in bed by 10 30! it was awesome! these simple acts of obedience brought us revelation. each night we do this we always recieve more revelation! As a zone we started talking about the time we go to bed. and the effect of going to bed at the right time. one elder told me, the difference between going to bed at 10 30 and 10 36 is night and day! when we go to bed at 10 30 the lord is bound to give us our needed rest! it is so cool to see the lord follow thourgh with those promises! we love being obedient, even if it is hard sometimes! also a new district came in yesterday and we welcomed them into their room and into our zone. i remember when i first got here and how it felt and i remembered to treat them with real and absolute love. i still look up to our zone leaders that led us the day i came into the MTC! i even remeber their names, i hope i can have that impact on our new elders and Hermanas in our district! 
about a week until i figure out where i will be reassigned and if i am reassigned i will be able to call you and tell you where i am going so we will see what happens! This is super fun and if i apply myself i can feel the spirit all the time! it is so cool and such an awesome feeling! I love this gospel and i love being in the MTC! it is so fun in here!  
In this life it is so hard to keep your mind focused on the right thing all the time.. do you ever ask yourself how do i combat each and every bad thought? well even if you don't... i do! and elder Clawson told me a good way to combat this.. he told a story by Elder Packer.. in this story Elder Packer had dug a side path off of a bigger stream, and when he did this the stream would alway get to high and one part of it would break... and when it would break he would go run over there and fill back in that part and build it back up with dirt... but then another part would break and he would fill it back in with dirt and then anouther part broke! he was so confused.. no matter how many times he fixed the dirt it would keep breaking until his dad told him to continue digging and have the path go back into the stream and tflow would be constant  and not overflow!
this is just like how abd thoughts work.. instead of trying to combat each and every bad thought and while you combat one bad thought another one comes up.. replace that bad thought with a good thought and no matter how hard satan tries to put in bad thoughts he won't be able to because you replaced it with a good thought. this helped me a lot to keep my mind on my purpose each and every day! and even when i tjhink something bad about somebopdy i can replace that thought with a good thought immediatly!

i am so glad the house is looking good, and i am glad that you guys are happpy each day! 

Also dad asked me how the Elder Holland talk changed my life... He said in the talk " I hate it when missionaries say 'i can't wait to get back to real life'. they have no clue what they are talking about" and then he got very serious and said" this is as real as life is going to get" and with that it hit me that this is the most important thing i can do righ tnow and no matter how hard i work... no matter how much I try my mission is still going to tick away at the same constant speed! it is going to be gone at the same time! so how much harder should io work! i only have 23 mnths left. i love you so much! and i want to hear more of what is going on at home!
con amor!!!,  Elder Hicks!

 Me and and my companion Elder Goodwin

 

                                       Me and Elder Clawson haha it looks kind of like a weird pic...

  

 me, Mitchell, and Levi (Levi is in SLC right now)

Our Zone last week, some of them have left... we have Hermanas too but we didn't take a pic with them.

Me, Blake and Mitchell (Mitchell is in Chile right now!)

2 emails today!!

Thanks Mom! How are you? So this week has been awesome! We went to the temple this morning and had an awesome intiatory session! We also had an amazing talk by Elder Whiting! I learned so much! I bought a Book of Mormon to destroy with writing in it! Make sure you guys have an opportunity everyday, to read this book, the Bible is amazing and all, but truly to come to Christ you need to read the Book of Mormon everyday! I know thorough the power of God all of your questions will be answered, about life. The Book of Mormon is amazing!, If you read it I know you will get closer to Jesus Christ and his atonemnet than ANY other book on this earth!

I am trying to learn how to follow every prompting of the sprit more, it is so hard to keep your mind clear and to keep the whispers of the spirit and each prompting in the front of my mind! Hey I am going to send another e-mail to you but right now I had  little time to send a quick e-mail but I'll send another one in a couple hours.

Oh and here is some spanish!

hoy es un Dia de solo espanol! Les Quiero Mucho! espero que ustedes estan guardando los madamietos. yo se que el evangelio de jesucristo es el solo camino a dios! y yo se que esta iglesia es verdadera!   yo se que por medio de dios podemos todos! continuamente oran! yo he orado sobre todos yo he dije a usted y yo se que lo es verdadero!
Les quiero!

Elder Troy (still your Burkey Boo) Hicks!

P.S. I will send another email with the answer to those questions you asked me!


2nd letter today

I have seen Blake!! I got the package last week! yes please send the SD card i have not been able to send a thank you card sorry I'll find time today! you said the addresses are in the address book. I did get the water bottle filter! I did get the cookies thank you!
I dont have to much time to write each p-day sorry if i dont get you guys letter today! i am doing my laundry right now! so fun!
Also i dont even know how to explain how much I have learned being a district leader is tough but, Mom can I tell you, I Know God looks over me! Also I watched a talk by Elder Holland... he wasn't here but it was a video of him at the MTC and I think it changed my life. It was when he was here on thanksgiving. but have you ever thought how much people the gospel has touched. If you think about it, during every dispensation the covenant people were in a small remote area and the prophets knew that the people were going to go into Apostasy pretty soon, the prophets knew they were going to fail! But know, Mom this is the last dispensation! This time of being a missionary! We are part of the last time the covenant people will be on the earth and we know we are going to win! Share the gospel! Think of all the blessing we have that others don't! I know that is a lot to ask and it is my job right now but I thank you for the example you have set me on how to be a good example to others!  Ilove this gospel. But what did we do in the premortal life to be born in the covenant. Not many people have been part of the gospel if you think of all the people that have been on the earth and how small each dispensation was and how small the area of people who were touched by the gospel was. We are so blessed! We were born in the last dispensation, (the dispensation every ancient prophet looked froward too!) and we are in the covenant, you are so right when you have told us kids "that the Lord expects so much more out of us!"  and we need to focus on what the Lord wants us to do" thank you Mom!
I am trying my best every day! Also get Hermana Randall to translate what I said for you! Love you cutie Mom! and I love my family! My perspective on life has been changed and I will never be the same kid again! I hope that makes you happy because it makes me happy that path I am walking! I know this is what the lord wants me to do!
I love Jesus Christ and will follow him anywhere! I love my family and I know you all want to follow Christ! and I love your example to me! The atonement is amazing and I am not a perfect person yet but through the atonement and Chirst I can do anything!

Love,
Elder Hicky Hicks! 



Oh also i am glad Makenna is doing good I miss you guys a lot but it is so worth it out here. I am glad you got to see Jim and Jeannie it has been a while, they are so awesome and I love them so much!
MOM! I am a little dissapointed you got a ticket! hahah just joking! es una Broma! Its a joke! jaja I hope all is well! I need to get off the computer Love You!

Elder Willardson and Elder Hicks

 Tyler and Troy!  Love these two!!  Tyler's Mom sent this picture to me today. 

March 14

Only 102 weeks left!!!! Ahhhhh

How is the kitchen coming guys?? And how is Makenna's foot!! I sent you guy’s letters this week! Sorry if they are kind of short! I am trying to do my laundry at the same time!! Ha

This week has been awesome! I have written in my journal every day! It is kind of hard we are always moving!

So yesterday we had a new set of missionaries coming in and they thought that we were so much older than them! It was way weird! We graduated the same year as them but because of how we acted they thought we were older than them! It is all about obedience! We are trying so hard as a district to be on time to everything and to be in bed on time! The lord has blessed us so much!! Also yesterday we had another experience with prayer! I know the lord listens to us!

My friend Elder Clawson (in my district) lost his name tag! And he was looking for it in the room! And we decided to say a prayer! And we said the prayer and asked for the lords help to find it, and not 30 seconds later the intercom went off and the front desk called him to the front and they had it in the lost and found! I know the lord heard our prayer!

Also we have not met any of the 12, we have had 2 people from the quorum of the 70! I have figured out that if we submit our will to the will of the fathers he will bless us and make us happier! It is harder than it sounds! Ha so much harder! But my faith in him has grown so much! Also think how you would respond to the question... what is our purpose in life? We thought about that question yesterday... and I know the answer, it is our time to prepare to meet god, to have joy! Our time to progress, to get a body! So many people in the world do not know the answer to that question. I can not wait for that moment with an investigator where I tell them there purpose in life. It is to prepare to meet god! What a blessing in our life. He really does look out for us.

Also I have a story for you guys,

Lets say you lived in a different country and in this country there was a wall that people have spray painted their names on. But now it was illegal to spray paint your name on this wall, but all your friends and family told you to spray paint your name on the wall. And you decided to fall into peer pressure and got your spray paint and started walking up to the wall. On the way to the wall there were many signs that said WARNING TO NOT SPRAY PAINT THIS WALL, YOU WILL GO TO PRISON FOR LIFE! But you kept going. Now right when you were about to spray paint this wall a light spotlighted you and police cars surrounded you and you had no where to run! The penalty for this action was life in prison. So you went to prison and while you were in prison you were thinking "what have I done I have thrown my life away... I can't do anything now. But a couple weeks into you prison term they gave you an option to get out. And part of this option was one of your family member had to come to the prison and had to take there hand and have it nailed to the wall, that you spray painted. After a couple of days your older brother hears of this option and starts to come down to the prison and you continually tell him NO NO. Please don't come. But he won't have it he comes anyway... he wants you to be free. So when he gets to the prison the people on the prison start beating him, and you say "wait you only said that he had to nail his hand to the wall" "stop" and they say " to late, the process has already started" after he gets beat up they take him to the wall and one hit at a time they nail his hand to the wall! How would you treat this brother of yours after this! After he gets his hand off the wall you take him home.... he is badly beaten and bruised... he can not even stand up! For the rest of your life how would you treat him... don't you think you would text him 25 times a day saying I love you! Don’t you think if someone said something bad about him you would say " wait you don't talk about my older brother like that!' he saved my life! He saved my whole life!" don't you think you would call him and ask him if he is okay and ask him if he needs anything?

I learned this is the same with our older brother in heaven. If someone says his name in vain. Wouldn’t we say? Shouldn’t we say stop. Out of our pure love for Christ. Shouldn’t we tell them he save our life! He saved your life! What a great story... I love my savior and I am nothing without him, I hope you guys and I know you guys have the same love for him! He is our savior! And God is our father! They both love us so much. Seek for the Holy Ghost and for that pure love of Christ for everyone!

Love you,

Elder Hicks

 Elder Marble, friend from Gilbert

 MTC Classroom

 w/Tyler and Elder Clawson

 Guys from District Elder Goodwin, Elder Anglade, Elder Clawson, then me.

 Me looking hot with my facebook style picture! PROFILE PIC STATUS!

 w/ Hermana Crawford, friend from Gilbert

District getting Ready for bed

Elder Holmstead friend from BYUI

P.S. Don’t let other people you love use the Lords name in vain. He is our Savior!

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!