Feliz Navidad!

Ok, well I´m going to talk to you soon, so just some quick news.

Todo está bien aquí en Jorge Chavez!

This week has been super hot, and not very successful. I´ve been thinking about where the Lord is saving the chosen investigators for us, as we haven´t been finding anyone. We´ve been devoting much of our time and efforts to contacting the lists of future investigators, and teaching less actives, and the recent converts that we have, even though they are less active´s children.

The hardest thing is that I have yet to see a real consejo de barrio [ward council] in this ward. Our bishop told us that we would start to have them every week when we went to the training broadcast together, but the next week he told us that it was going to be tough, so every two weeks, and now he says we won´t have one until January. That means that we aren´t really progressing. Nevertheless, I say that ´todo está bien´ [all is well] here because we are working hard to be more obedient.

I feel a strong desire to study PMG [Preach My Gospel] more in depth as a part of my personal study. I find that every time I find an excuse not to follow my study plan, I don´t have an effective study, and I am rededicated to make good use of that hour. It has been stressful having Pdays change last minute, to be completely honest. We´ve lost a lot of momentum.

I found great interest in the movie of choice during our Christmas get together: How the Grinch Stole Christmas. For the first time in my life, I understood the movie as a satire, and it´s message rings true here in Perú more than ever. 

A very welcome taste of home, watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas

My testimony of our promised land doesn´t cease to grow stronger each day.  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. I know Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God, a chosen seer and mouthpiece. I do not believe, I know. The Lord has sent his special messenger to testify directly to me, so that I, in turn, can testify. There is no seam, nor fray, nor fault in the testimony of the spirit. Joseph Smith was a man, and just as the rest of us, had mortal weakness. Like him, I know I can grow in faith and virtue in order to gain an extra portion of his spirit. I am fasting and praying for this portion, that I may be able to begin bringing his sheep into the fold by the waters of baptism. I love the work!

Testifico que solo todo es sufficiente. Sé que el Señor espera nada menos que 100% de lo que podemos dar. Tenemos (especialmente nosotros como Elderes) que sacrificar todo lo que somos, no importa el precio. Se que la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días es la unica iglesia que ha sido organizado por Dios antes de que el mundo fuese. se que ha sido restaurada en su forma completa, pero muchos misterios son todavía para venir. Sé que la senda es muy estrecha y angosta, y que muchos son los llamados, pero pocos los escogidos. Los escogidos son los que sacrifican todo, sin reservo. Sé que la oración es una herramienta que Dios nos da para ayudarnos a cambiar nuestra voluntad, para que sea más como la suya, pero dicho cambio require mucho tiempo. Estoy en el horno, y con frequencia, el herrero me saca para formarme con sus herramientas. Pero gozo en el cambio, y quisiera compartirlo con todos. Acompañanme en la obra, y gozamonos en la mies.

[I testify that only our all is sufficient.  I know that the Lord expects nothing less than 100% of what we can give.  We (especially as Elders) have to sacrifice all that we are, no matter what it costs.  I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only church that has been organized by God before the world was.  I know that it has been restored in its complete form, but there are still many mysteries that will still be made known.  I know that the path is very strait and narrow, and that many are called, yet few are chosen.  The chosen ones are those that have sacrificed it all, without reservation.  I know that prayer is a tool that God has given us to help us change our will to be more like His, but such change takes a long time.  I am in the refiner's fire, and the blacksmith takes me out often to form me with his tools.  But I rejoice in the change, and I want to share it with everyone.  Join me in the work, and let's find joy in the harvest.]

I love you!

Love, Elder Hicken

Hurrah for Israel!