Elder Talon Hicken: The Missionary: An interview with the Elder Hicken!

Monday, March 18, 2013

An interview with the Elder Hicken!

I'm crazy short on time today so I'll do my best to reply to everything I can, but I had to write an extra long letter, do some training activities and figure out some other stuff all duing my email time! CRAZY! I've just typed responses to your questions in your email in blue type! Thanks!

Hello Talon!

I don't want to take up your computer time by emailing you a whole letter, but I didn't think you would get snail mail in time either. So here is just a quick note of questions for you to answer in case you need some prompts in writing us. I assume your P-days are Mondays now and we'll be hearing from you tomorrow.

We want to hear everything you can tell about everything!

I'll try and tell you everything I can in the short time I have today!

I'm sure Mason was grateful to have you there. I chatted with his mom for a while after stake women's conference last Thursday and it didn't sound like he had as good a relationship with his MTC district as you did. We enjoyed hearing from Pres. Priday about how his brother came across you two packing the night before you left.

It seemed like he was doing fine to me! But he seems really happy, and it also seems like he has grown up a lot since I last knew him. I'm glad President Priday [The MTC President] shared with President Priday [our Colorado Stake President, who is also the MTC President's brother] about our little run in!

Shoot! A man walking by accidently unplugged my computer! =[ Even less time now...

Jessica Myers spoke in sacrament mtg today, goes to the MTC soon. Kiersten hopes to get her call maybe as soon as this week.

Gosh darn that's super crazy! Kiersten better write me soon,...I don't have her address. Could you ask Kai to ask John what his address is or something?

What do you think about:

Your new mission president

So fantastic. Most definately one of the reasons I was sent to this mission. He is brilliant, and loving, and I've learned a lot from him in just the last few days.

Your trainer--and who is he?

He's great! He is fom SLC and his name is Austin Hawes. He has been out for 10 months and I'm his second son. Our posterity has a huge reputation here in the mission, and so when everyone heard who was training me, they all came up to me and told me how great it was going to be!

The ward yesterday

Great! I love being around memebers! Except one thing really threw me off. The girls all wore immodest skirts! What's up with that? I don't know if there is some reason, like it's imposible to get modest skirts here, or what, but I thought it was terrible. We're talking homecoming dress short. (you might have to ask Kai just how short that is)

The work so far

The work is fantastic! I love it here in Lynchburg. We are right next door to the Baptist BYU called Liberty University. To graduate from it you have to take 3 credits of anti-mormon literaure. Nothing really extraordinary has happened to me yet though. Though if anybody has a change of getting tarred and feathered....just kidding. It's pretty safe around here. Nothing the Lord can't handle.

Where you live

It's a mess. Just a falling apart apartment. It's honestly not terrible, and we have memory foam mattresses, but there is mold all over the bathroom, the vents smell crazy weird (we think it's the people around us) and the kitchen is from 1805. There are 3 handles on the drawers and cupboards out of the 10 we should have. There is even one door missing. The stove is too big, so one of the drawers can't open all the way. There isn't any disposal. But it's all ok because the ward here is amazing! We are being fed almost every night! I have spent probably 3 hours so far cleaning up the apartment, but today we are going to go buy a bunch of cleaning supplies. We have a bunch of weights though! And a punching bag! hah, I'll take pictures, but I accidently left my camera with the Zone Leaders when we saw Elder Oaks on Saturday (I'll tell more about that later, don't worry) I'll probably get it back on the 28th.

Where are you?

I'm in Lynchburg, VA. I don't know what happens to letters written on DearElder.com, but if you could find out and let me know that would be great!

[This just in from your Blog Editor: At this point, you must create an account on DearElder.com. You will select Talon's mission from the list West Virginia Charleston. You can still compose your whole letter right on the site, then you will pay $0.46 for postage.]

Are you still thrilled to be stateside?

Of course! I'm on a mission, aren't I? It's crazy!

Any surprises, or are things about what you expected?

I didn' know what to expect, but WV is kind of like mountain town Colorado mixed with old downtown Chicago. It's really interesting. There isn't a straight piece of road in the whole mission!

Did they have any stuff to lend, like a coat?

Missionaries just take and leave stuff from the apartments, so I've got the same coat that we got from Mr. Mac. Except this one is free. I don't know what else I would want to borrow! Except maybe a comforter, but I'm just using all of my sheets at once, and I'm acually really hot at night. Mostly because of the memory foam.

Where are you using a computer right now?

I'm at the Lynchburg public library!

I sure hope you have ample time to write--we just assume you actually arrived and things are going along normally since we haven't heard anything. It will be good to actually know.

We are so happy you are serving your mission and we imagine the great things you are doing and learning. You have such a wonderful enthusiasm and willingness to put you shoulder to the wheel.

Love, Mom

No comments:

How great is my calling!

I am called of God. My authority is above that of the kings of the earth. By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my master, and He has chosen me to represent Him, to stand in his place, to say and do what He would say and do if He were ministering to those to whom He has sent me. My voice is His voice, and my actions are His actions. My words are His words and my doctrine is His doctrine. My commission is to do what He wants done, to say what He wants said, to be a living witness in word and in deed of His great and marvelous latter-day work.

Where to Send the Good Stuff

Inspiring Words from Elder Hicken

Feb 21, 2013: Anyone who can't decide about serving a mission, start studying the Atonement with all of your energy of soul. You will not be able to resist the desire to share the amazing effects of a knowlege of the Atonement. As for everyone who has already been on a full time mission, congratulations, you're now a part time missionary--you're not done sharing. If you lack an intense desire to share the gospel, you'd best start studying the Atonement right along with everyone else. If you don't fit in either of those categories, you should study the Atonement. In summary, STUDY THE ATONEMENT! It is so wonderful, so happy, so inspiring, so spectacularly amazing! I know it is because as I study it every day, as I share it every day, as I pray about it every day, my happiness has grown exponentially, my energy has increased in duration, my attention has been refocused, and my desires are being tuned! If you seek happiness, seek a testimony of the Atonement, and the happiness will come with a flood of our Savior's love.

Feb 21, 2013: Fear to take advantage of the scriptures. Be afraid of falling into the category of people Nephi spoke to in 2 Nephi 32:7! But even more so, fear to hearken unto the evil spirit which teacheth a man not to pray. Which whispers "you're too tired", "try it first and then pray", "see if you can do it on your own". If you're ever thinking of praying, you should be praying. Ye must pray always! (verse 9) The ability to do things without prayer is a vice, and a weakness. It is harder to rely on the spirit, than to do it yourself.

May 21, 2013: I only want to share a thought that I had during our Stake Conference this last Sunday. We were singing “Praise To The Man” and a thought came to my mind forcefully, that what I am sharing and preaching each day is true. I know without fail, with every fiber of my body and I cannot doubt, because of this I am made. This is the true gospel, and there is no other way, path or salvation. The happiness that I feel grows each day, and my experiences are helping me in each moment. I am extremely grateful for the gifts of knowledge that the Spirit gives me, and I hope with all my heart that you are feeling a new desire to study, search, and pray with more effort often and regularly. There is no other way.

July 1, 2013: I know that God loves me, that He knows me, such that He puts details in my day that He knows only I would recognize. I know that God listens to my thoughts as well as my prayers, and that He is helping me develop a will similar to His. We please God when we help His children come closer to Jesus Christ, but our most important conversion is ourselves. God takes care of me every day, in a way I cannot understand. I know that Jesus Christ thought of my name, our friendship, when He was praying in theGarden of Gethsemane, and that I have his strength as a support when mine is weak. I love my Savior. I love my God. I have His love for you and I want to help you just like my neighbors here to know Christ. Believe in God; believe that He exists, believe that He has all wisdom and all power, believe that man does not understand everything that the Lord can understand. Know that I believe it, I know it, and I want to live it.

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October 14, 2013: Look for the time each day the Lord gives you to rest, and use it. It´s a gift from God, and he gives it to you because he knows you need it, not because he knows you have something else to get done. Read the scriptures for fun sometimes. Forget about any goal or need you have, and just open somewhere and read. The Lord has control, but only if you let him. Sometimes we want to do so much good, that we don´t let our Savior do anything--sometimes we want to help our investigators so much, that we don't let our companions do anything. But not in either situation does it turn out for our good.

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Dec 23, 2013: The work of the Lord is progressing at an incredible rate. The adversary is fighting to keep up. His work is disgusting in every way, and even worse is that he disguises it to not appear that way. In Elder´s Quorum this week, President Jimmy said that everything Satan does is to divide the family, and he works with the weakest member. Don´t be the weakest! Even better, don´t let there be a weakest! When a family is united in persevering to the end, there is no place for Satan! No handhold! But he has many workers in this world, and he will pull at every seam, and tear at every fray. I testify of the importance of gaining a testimony by way of the spirit. The devil reasons with perfect reasoning. There is no outsmarting the devil, but there is overcoming. We overcome the devil by rising above reason and learning to listen and understand the spirit.

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April 7, 2014: This week I have learned the importance of setting goals so that in the future we can measure our progress. I remember the feelings I felt when Sister Borg explained to us that she can see our progress, even though we can´t see it. It´s like my family: they send me pictures, and everyone seems so much older, though they have no idea. Sometimes we need to look ourselves in the mirror spiritually, compare ourselves with a snapshot from the past and see just how much we have grown.

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July 8, 2014: One thing that I¨ve learned to always ask myself is if I am a blessing or a burden. When I call my leaders to ask for help, I ask my self how I can be a blessing for them in this moment. When I call my missionaries to verify their work, I ask myself how I can bless, not burden them. It has been one of the biggest changes in my life, and I believe it all started with something Dad taught me: whenever you go to a meeting or meet with someone important, always make sure that by the time you leave, they are glad that you were there. I always try to make people really, truely glad that I am there to help them, and never feel like life would be easier if I weren´t there to bug them about an assignment, or get after them for not doing something.

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Nov 15, 2014: Many times it hurts to not have materials for those who need. It makes me think of the spiritual application of the same; the feeling of guilt and pain that one encounters when lacking a testimony to share in another´s time of need is a cringing experience. It is not as easy as asking a companion for an extra pamphlet, or looking for the extra you always keep inside the cover of your scriptures. I urge all who are within the reaching of my words to prepare themselves. There is not much time before the Lord will require your testimony. The days are accomplished that the battle front has disappeared. The enemy is within the walls, and we must sleep on our swords. There is no child too young, no soldier too wounded, no scout too lost, and not one too weak to be strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We all need it.

Monday, March 18, 2013

An interview with the Elder Hicken!

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