Elder Talon Hicken: The Missionary: June 2014

Monday, June 30, 2014

Hola de la Selva [the jungle]

Todo està bien aquì en Precursores!

We went to the zoo today!

Here`s a picture of a picture made to look like another picture! I love you Sierra!

Happy Birthday Kai! I realized after signing off that it was more prudent to have told you last monday, but better late than never! I hope you had a pie of a time!

Everyone who reads my letters, send me next week stories about how the Lord has eased a burden in your life! I would love to know!

I`m looking for a talk by Elder Holland that says that as members, we should pray for the missionaries in our ward by name. Have you heard of it? Could you send me the link?

This week has been wonderfully hard. The only way to explain it is that after falling a long ways, the climb back up is maybe just as difficult, but much more satisfying looking backwards. Elder Burgos is amazing, and helping me remember what I once learned from Elder Castro. It hasn`t been an easy first two weeks, but I`m excited for the third. We are united, and we love each other, and the zone knows it. They want to be like us, just as they did when Elder Castro was my companion. I am grateful for his help, and hope to help him realize just how important he is to me, and to the Lord here in Maranga.

I know I am in the Lords hands, and not only am I there, but he is using me all over the place! I love it, but I`ve got a crazy schedule! I love the Lord!

Love, Elder Hicken

Hurrah for Israel!

Monday, June 23, 2014

Hola con Elder Burgos!

Todo está bien aquí en Precursores!

The work is picking up the pace here as we look to start doing things that just weren´t possible this past change.

I´ve learned these past two weeks that the number one priority for a leader is to make sure his sheep have their basic needs taken care of: water, electricity, food, etc.

Well, I´ve got a new companion! Elder Burgos! You might remember him, he was in my district in Las Flores and you met him when you went to visit. We get a long super well, and it´s a relief to have someone to help me 24*7 at my side. He just got bumped up from being DL. It´s a handful training a new zone leader, but I love it. Elder Burgosis so motivated and wants to do what´s right. He is sensitive to the spirit, and wants to be a good example.

So yesterday we split our ward! We now have a new ward in our stake, and two new missionaries!

Love, Elder Hicken

Hurrah for Israel!

Fathers day party!

putting together furniture for the new sister´s new apartment!

the plan of salvation drawn on a dirty car...that counts as a lesson in calle...

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Hola de Cambios!

Todo está bien aqui en precursores! And I´ll be here for another month and a half! Elder Vazquez won´t though! He´s only been here one change, but he´s off to another zone.

It´s great to watch the work progress, even when it´s a slightly stressful process. We´re doing our best to accomodate all of the changes the Lord sees fit in these weeks! We´re super excited for a new ward in our stake: Escardó. Our ward is going to be a father! But it means we´ll loose Sister Heiner and Sister Agüero. We´ll be getting two more missionaries in our zone as well!

We´re writing today because we spent all morning yesterday moving in the new room for Escardó and distributing materials to the zone in the truck.

This past change with Elder Vazquez has been incredible. It helped me remember many of the things that I had learned in the first six months of my mission. I have learned of the importance of working with families, taking care of your companion as #1, and we´ve begun a relationship with the stake that had disappeared. I am excited to learn even more from my new companion, and begin to put in practice the sum of my experience to have more success to match the desires of my heart!

Testifico que la familia es ordenada por Dios. Los ultimos dias son los dias para trabajar con la familia, y ahi esta trabajando Dios. La Restauracion es real, y esta pasando rapido. José Smith fue un profeta lleno del espiritu de Dios, y dio a luz el Libro de Mormon, que us un fruto de ese espiritu. Al leerlo, seremos llenos con lo mismo, y lo transmitiremos a nuestros projimos en el orden verdadero de caridad. Les amo mucho! Gracias por todo!

Love, Elder Hicken

Hurrah for Israel!

Monday, June 9, 2014

Hola de la ultima semana de...

This week has been crazy, sorry, but I don`t have a whole lot of time!

This week we did an exchange with Elder Chatwin and Elder Bobadilla. While with Elder Bobadilla, we talked about how Elder Chatwin treats him as an equal, and even asks him for help with his responsibilities as district leader. Something that has helped E`Bobadilla immensely. We also spent a great time working with families, contacting them in the street. We decided that we are `protectores de la familia' [family protectors] and that the families need to know it. As we finished the day, I told him: ¨Antes de ir al cuarto, necesitamos contactar una familia mas!¨ [Before we return back home, we need to contact one more family.] We turned around to start walking home, and right in front of us there was a family, who we talked to and gave a Book of Mormon and set up a return appointment. Amazing how the Lord prepares us the way.

The work is hard, but salvation isn`t cheap. I`m willing to pay the price!

I love you!

Hurrah for Israel!

Monday, June 2, 2014

Hola de una semana BLANCA

This week was well worth the hard work! We served with all our heart, might, mind, and strength to baptize the Isasi Family. On Friday they were married at 12:30, and six hours later they were baptized.

We had a huge baptism this week! And a marriage! I was the testigo. Here´s a few photos! The first one is of the 6 of us in our ward and the two assistents, and Rodrigo. Elder Castro was my companion last transfer before being called as assistent--looks like we are still united, based on the pose.

Sunday we had 4 confirmations, 3 children or baby blessings of investigators or converts, one ordination to priest of an investigator, a new Elders Q President, and we´re super excited to be working in the work of the Lord!

Sé que al procurar hablar con todos, cumplimos con el propósito de nuestro llamamiento, aun con los desafíos de la vida misional. La fe es la confianza en cosas que no se ven, pero que son VERDADERAS. Una ley de los cielos es la ley de relatividad. Uno siega lo que coseche. Sin estar preparado, no podremos cumplir. La obra misional involucra a todos, no solo los investigadores. Este obra de salvación es posible gracias al amor de Cristo. Sé que el señor prueba a sus elegidos para prepararles para lo que el tiene reservado mas adelante. La familia es ordenada por dios y el matrimonio entre un hombre y una mujer es esencial para su plan eterno. Al ayudarla y trabajar con familias, estaremos trabajando al lado del señor. Sea con menos activos, investigadores, parte familias, o no-miembros.

[I know that by talking with everyone, we will fulfill our calling, even with the challenges of missionary life. Faith is trust in things which are not seen, which are TRUE. A heavenly law is a real law. You reap what you sow. Without being prepared, we can not magnify our calling. Missionary work involves everyone, not just the investigators. This work of salvation is posible thanks to the love of Jesus Christ. I know that the Lord tries his chosen ones in order to prepare them for what lies ahead. The family is ordained of God and marriage between a man and a woman is essential to his eternal plan. To help and work for families, we are working aside the Lord. Even with less-actives, investigators, part-member families, and non-members alike.]

Love, Elder Hicken

Hurrah for Israel!

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Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some; it is in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

--Marianne Williamson

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.